CPRE Berkshire AGM 2024

CPRE Berkshire held its 2024 Annual General Meeting at Englefield on Monday 15 July. Our Vice-President, Dr Chistina Hill Williams DL, presided, and Chairman Greg Wilkinson gave his Chairman’s Address reporting on activities over the last year and highlighting the challenges we face and the campaign initiatives we are currently working on. He also welcomed new CPRE Berkshire Trustee Andy Grieves. The keynote speech this year was given by Susie Mather, Director of Communications at the Canal and River Trust (who is also the new Chair of CPRE Oxfordshire). Susie gave a fascinating presentation on the Canal and River Trust’s work looking after a 2,000-mile network of inland waterways across England and Wales, which she described as a crucially important national infrastructure network.

Canals and river navigations, she explained, are vital in tackling national challenges through:

• flood protection
• flood alleviation
• moving water to where it’s needed
• working towards net zero
• generating green energy
• regulating urban temperatures
• helping nature recovery
• providing free access to nature
• acting as a natural health service
• regenerating neighbourhoods

For more information on their work, take a look at the Trust’s website, www.canalrivertrust.org.uk.