Friends of the River Frome

29/10/2026

🩵 Frome adopts Avon Bioregional River Charter 💙

Frome Town Councillors have unanimously voted to adopt the Avon Bioregional River Charter at the latest meeting of Frome Town Council. The Charter is part of a growing movement that recognises rivers as living systems, not just resources or landmarks and aims to support the biological health of the river and the area alongside it 🐟🦆

Developed by We Are Avon, a project working to regenerate the Avon catchment area, the University of West of England, and Councillors from the region, the charter has been championed by local groups Friends of the River Frome and Frome Families for the Future 🦫🦦

ℹ Learn more about the charter here: weareavon.org/avon-bioregional-charter and here: www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/frome-adopts-avon-bioregional-river-charter

📷: Matt Mellen, Frome Town Council Climate Action Lead: children look for river invertebrates at the 2026 Frome River Festival

29/10/2026

Spotted gnawed trees along the river? The beavers have been busy! (This time of year also makes it easier to see what they’ve been up to as the leaves drop and reveal more trunks and branches 🍁🍂)

Beaver chomping might look dramatic but them taking down trees contributes to a healthy river ecosystem ⬇️

🦫 Trees and wood in the river create new pockets of habitat for other species

🦫 Their dams hold back water stopping it flooding landscapes and homes

🦫 Their engineering creates ponds and pools that act as natural filtering systems improving water quality

🦫 They stop trees crowding the river. Slightly fewer trees = more light through = greater chance for plants to grow beneath.

TLDR: don’t panic if you see beaver gnawed trees. They’re part of a healthy ecosystem and we (and other organisations) keep an eye on numbers being felled.

10/09/2026

We’re very excited for for WE ARE NATURE in just over a week!

It’s an evening of words and music celebrating the living world, and part of the ticket price goes towards our river work 🎉

Actor and ecologist David Oakes (The Pillars of the Earth; Vikings, Valhalla) and podcast (Trees a Crowd) and jazz legend Iain Ballamy (“one of the world’s distinctive saxophone voices”, The Guardian) will be joining by keyboardist Elliot Galvin in this one-off celebration of nature.

Tickets are £20, and it’s at Rise on Whittox Lane, Saturday 19th Sept, 7:45. Find out more and book here – https://www.ticketsource.com/considerthewondrous/david-oakes-iain-ballamy-amp-elliot-galvin-we-are-nature/

16/07/2026

Some snaps of our 2026 river festival a few weeks ago. A beautiful day celebrating the power of rivers. Huge thanks to Frome Families for the Future, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, and everyone who came along to make it so special.

10/07/2026

Join us for a litter pick this Sunday. The river needs some love, especially in this weather!

Don't forget a hat, water and sun cream. Extra brownie points if you bring your own litter picker.

30/06/2026

What a joyful day, thanks to everyone who came and all the brilliant people who made it happen.

26/06/2026

If you're feeling ready to venture outdoors post-heatwave, what better way to do so than exploring the Frome Families for the Future x Friends of the River Frome River Festival in Rodden Meadow this weekend 🌊

Sunday 28 June, 10am - 2pm: take a paddle to cool off and discover what wildlife our river is home to, get creative with arts and crafts, enjoy live music, learn to rap, watch the wonderful Bounds of Selwood Morris dancers, get to know the organisations working hard to care for our river - there's something for everyone. And it's free!

Bring a picnic and the whole family, and let's celebrate the River Frome. 💚

26/06/2026

Weather is looking reassuringly mild! Can’t wait for this year’s fest 💙 it’s always such a great celebration of the river and gathering of lovely people that put in the work to look after the waters.

If you're feeling ready to venture outdoors post-heatwave, what better way to do so than exploring the Frome Families for the Future x Friends of the River Frome River Festival in Rodden Meadow this weekend 🌊

Sunday 28 June, 10am - 2pm: take a paddle to cool off and discover what wildlife our river is home to, get creative with arts and crafts, enjoy live music, learn to rap, watch the wonderful Bounds of Selwood Morris dancers, get to know the organisations working hard to care for our river - there's something for everyone. And it's free!

Bring a picnic and the whole family, and let's celebrate the River Frome. 💚

17/06/2026

We're having a few issues with our website at the moment, hopefully we'll be back up and running soon but please email us at [email protected] if you need anything urgently. 🦦

20/02/2026

A very exciting arrival! Local river watcher David Glasman has just released his book about the river. We can’t wait to get stuck in and we’re glad to have helped with it in any small way.