News and Events

Friends of the Cam co-founder stands for Chancellor of Cambridge University

  • Posted on: 28 April 2025
  • By: Susan
Tony Booth introducing the Friends of the Cam River Festival in 2024

One of the co-founders of Friends of the Cam, and the organiser of our annual Festival, Tony Booth, is standing for Chancellor of Cambridge University. His decision to do so has been prompted by two other candidates: Lord Brown, ex-CEO of BP, one of the most polluting companies on the planet; and Mohammed El-Erian, the President of Queen’s College, which is determined to extend student accommodation at Owlstone Croft, against the decision of the City Council and local residents, and to the detriment of Paradise Nature Reserve.

Cam River Rights Festival

  • Posted on: 27 March 2025
  • By: Susan
An invitation to the Cambridge River Rights Festival on June 21st, 2025

Save the date: Saturday 21st June. Friends of the Cam will be holding its 5th River Rights Festival at which we will be rededicating the rights of the river. We will have live songs, music, poetry and short talks, and as the Cambridge Folk Festival and Strawberry Fair have both been cancelled this year, this is the summer festival fixture in the city!

Challenging the Cambridge Growth Company

  • Posted on: 27 March 2025
  • By: Susan
Cambridge Station Square featured in The Guardian illustrating poor design

The Federation of Cambridge Residents' Associations (FeCRA) has invited Peter Freeman, Chair of the Government’s new ‘Cambridge Growth Company’, to explain what his vision for the growth of Cambridge means for its infrastructure, water and housing, and this is an opportunity for us to question him directly. Places are free, and booking is on Eventbrite here.

Challenging the Fixed Bus Way through Coton Orchard

  • Posted on: 14 January 2025
  • By: Susan

Friends of the Cam submitted an objection to the plan to build a fixed dedicated bus route from Cambridge (Grange Road) to Cambourne, via Coton, destroying a traditional orchard of national importance in the process. The Department of Transport have now announced a Public Inquiry, and Friends of the Cam have registered as an interested party and will be making our objection. The reasons for this objection are set out below.

March for Clean Water, Sunday 3rd November

  • Posted on: 11 September 2024
  • By: Susan
Join the march for clean water on October 26

Friends of the Cam is a member of the coalition organising The March for Clean Water. We joined other groups from Cambridge and across the country on Sunday November 3rd to demand clean, plentiful and healthy water in our rivers and seas for all species, including humans, and to end the profit driven pollution which drives water companies. 

Latest action demanding that Anglian Water stops polluting our rivers

  • Posted on: 11 September 2024
  • By: Susan

⁨⁩On Friday 13 September, Friends of the Cam and XR staged an action against Anglian Water dumping sewage in local rivers, prompting the water company to state they had heard the message “loud and clear”. This was followed on the 14th by an afternoon of outreach and family fun on Jesus Green, demanding that Anglian Water #ActNow to stop polluting our rivers.

A Meeting of Rivers

  • Posted on: 6 August 2024
  • By: Susan

Friends of the Cam is one of four groups working on the “Meeting of Rivers” programme. Its inaugural workshop was co-hosted by the Friends of the Cam on the 19th and 20th of September at St Lukes Church, Cambridge. A report was published in the Cambridge Independent here.

Friends of the Cam stand in solidarity with Friends of Paradise

  • Posted on: 30 January 2024
  • By: Susan
Summer Mist in Paradise Nature Reserve

A planning Inquiry Inspector overrode the unanimous decision of Cambridge City Council and the objections of thousands of residents to allow Queens’ College to develop in the garden of Owlstone Croft, up to the boundary of Paradise Nature Reserve. Friends of Paradise has applied to challenge this decision through a judicial review. Unfortunately, the Judge has refused Friends of Paradise a hearing for a Judicial Review.

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