Midsummer Celebration of the Rights of the River Cam

  • Posted on: 1 June 2026
  • By: Susan
Peter Hammond (WASP) speaking at River Rights Festival

On June 21st, Midsummer's Eve, around 500 people gathered to declare the Rights of the River Cam for the 6th consecutive year. Some of the context for this is provided in the two introductory talks attached here. Peter Hammond, one of the the two campaigners from the River Windrush (Windrush Against Sewage Pollution) , spoke movingly about his motivations for his work, including the death of Heather Preen as a result of E-coli poisoning, and the bravery of her mother Julie Preen (now Maughan).

Hand painted petition at Rights of the River Cam festival

  • Posted on: 20 July 2026
  • By: Susan
Painting of sewage entering the Cam
Painting of concerns about the Cam

Julie Kavanagh, Anne Rivington and Charlotte Rivington designed some colourful hand painted visual petition sheets on which people attending the Rights of the River event wrote personal messages, addressed to Daniel Zeicnher, Cambridge MP. The petition describes concern over high levels of illegal sewage dumping and expresses no confidence in the ability of Anglian Water and Cambridge Water to address the issues which their mismanagement has contributed to and calls for water to be brought back into public ownership.

Daniel Zeichner's views on the state of our rivers, and what to do about it

  • Posted on: 21 March 2026
  • By: Susan
Sewage in the River Cam (papier mache poo and long distance swimmer-protester)

On Tuesday 17th March Friends of the Cam had a meeting with Daniel Zeichner as part of the Sewage Campaign Network Day in Parliament. The report of our meeting, as well as a report of an evening meeting focused on the Channel 4 drama-documentary Dirty Business hosted by Clive Lewis MP for Norwich South, is attached.

Who Decides Cambridge's Future?

  • Posted on: 20 March 2026
  • By: Susan

This is a critical time for Cambridge and its surrounding area as the Government is in the process of imposing an unelected body - the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation - on the city region. On Monday, 23rd March Cambridge Past Present and Future hosted a discussion (the recording is available here: ‘Who Decides Cambridge’s Future’ ) and FotC’s steering group member (and Chair of FeCRA) Wendy Blythe was on the panel. 

WHY FRIENDS OF THE CAM DO NOT SUPPORT A DESIGNATED BATHING AREA AT SHEEP’S GREEN

  • Posted on: 12 August 2023
  • By: Susan
The Cam at Sheep's Green

Friends of the Cam campaign for an unpolluted river, against over-abstraction from it, and the unsustainable growth in buildings and infrastructure that impact on both. Designating short stretches of rivers may lead to some very limited local improvement of water quality, at the expense of water quality elsewhere. Friends of the Cam opposed the DBA application in the consultation for reasons given below.

About

Friends of the Cam are a Cambridge based campaigning group committed to restoring the health of the river Cam and its tributaries for the benefit of nature. We are pledged to ending pollution of the river and overabstraction linked to unsustainable growth in the area. We have developed a charter to express these commitments which we invite others to sign.

The Issues

The River Cam and its tributaries are suffering badly from over-abstraction, agricultural run-off and sewage discharge leaving them in poor condition with very low flow levels and dirty water. At the same time the area is in the midst of a dash for growth in building houses and offices which is putting further strain on natural water flow and preventing the restoration of an already depleted system.

Taking Action

We can act by constantly opposing the conditions that are wrecking the River Cam and its streams. We can spread the word, persuade others, write letters, attend policy meetings, expose the role of water companies, businesses including farms, greenwashing efforts, planning officers, Councils, monitoring agencies. We can counter the unsustainability of building and infrastructure proposals. We can strengthen alliances with all those national and local groups who act with clarity and integrity to protect our River and counter unsustainable growth. We declare the Rights of the River Cam at a public ceremony every Midsummer's day in June as a way of spreading the word and creating a network of River Defenders prepared to act to protect the River.