Surge Cooperative

Member since June 14, 2021

Surge Co-operative was established in 2018 by boaters and waterway enthusiasts after years of living on and around the rivers in Newham. Having seen the distinct neglect and emptiness of a once thriving waterway we are passionate about turning this around, initiating and supporting projects that open up the riverside once again for moorings and local community use. We are currently working to bring cooperatively run moorings back to the Bow backwaters, with a focus on improving the biodiversity of the area, nurturing safe, outdoor community waterside spaces and promoting a sustainable stewardship of the waterways.

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Surge Cooperative3 years ago Channelsea Conservation & Care focuses on surveying river and land plant life with consultation and public events, tackling the vigorous growth of some species to enhance biodiversity and river resilience, and improving comfort, safety and accessibility along the riverbank with bins, benches and a bike park. 4 x plant surveys 3 x public events Mosaic workshop New safety boat for river access 4 new bike parks 2 new benches for the Long Wall Path 2 new recycling bins for the Long Wall Ecology Garden As an area left largely un-developed for some time there is a lot of important wild growth to celebrate, however this lack of human conservationist intervention has led to the rapid growth of robust species. Collaborating with Nick Bertrand from Creekside Discovery Centre, we will conduct four riverbank and waterspace surveys to gather a seasonal picture of the plant life and what we can do to rebalance species for greater biodiversity. We will hold three seasonal public events with guest speakers and creative activities to share what we have learnt about the environment, encouraging engagement with and care for this important wild habitat.Controlling excessive plant growth will improve waterway resilience, combatting the UK's biodiversity decline and fortifying the water space and communities around it against the effects of climate change. We have already identified that the rapid Pennywort growth on the river depletes oxygen and light, harming aquatic life. Eradicating it is feasible through removal and composting. Our past NCIL funding enabled us to acquire an eco-friendly boat engine and since then we secured funds to build a raft, being completed this Autumn. Our current boat requires frequent repairs, so some of the PPP fund will be used to replace it, enhancing longevity and efficiency for conservation tasks and river access. Volunteers at monthly eco gatherings will gain access to the river for pennywort removal, learning how to compost this for the Long Wall Ecology Garden's orchard.In addition we will install two riverfront recycling bins to address litter issues, as accessing the riverbank to remove litter is a challenge for Newham Council. Two new benches along the river path, and a workshop to mosaic the existing benches, will enrich the river path experience. A bike park will improve cyclist and volunteer accessibility to the Long Wall Ecology Path. Our initiatives promise a healthier Channelsea river ecosystem, increased accessibility, and community engagement.

Surge Cooperative4 years ago A trio of inter-linked projects that will support our community’s care of and engagement in the green blue spaces around the Channelsea river, and at the Long Wall Path Ecology Garden. A workshop series at the garden will build our volunteer network, establishing a regular group for the community orchard we are planting, and also (in collaboration with soil and composting cooperative 'Compost-mentis') using creative activities to learn about alternative methods of waste management, and the role we play in the diverse ecosystems around us (local priorities 1&4). We will also design and build a welcome archway for the garden, including an engagement workshop for the design process. The archway will mark the garden as a space for collective action, helping to reduce the litter and anti-social behaviour on site (local priority 2) by establishing a sense of value for what the garden offers in return for its creation.We will also purchase a new green solar charged propulsion system for our safety boat, greening-up our access to the waterspace, to help us reduce our impact on the immediate environment (local priority 1). This will engage more people in the work we’re doing on the waterways, creating partnerships that benefit local communities by showing stakeholders and community groups around the river and giving us access to maintain the Channelsea Floating Islands and undertake biodiversity surveys (local priorities 1 & 4).WORKSHOP SERIES IS NOW LIVE! All free and open to all. Sign up via Eventbrite below or email info@compost-mentis.com for other ways to join.Saturday 18th FebruaryCommunity Compost Toilet Co-design Session - come and help design a new community compost toilet along the Greenway!Saturday 4th MarchClay time! - come and play with London clay for a day, making tiles, bricks and artefacts for Surge’s new community compost toilet!Saturday 15th AprilCreative Ecologies along the Channelsea River - visit the often forgotten Channelsea River in Newham, and connect with the amazing critters that live there.You can also listen to recordings of the talks from the workshops and other activities on the river: LISTEN HEREThe Welcome Archway has now been installed!

Surge Cooperative5 years ago Together with the wider community, via a workshop process, Surge Cooperative will research, develop and build three floating habitats for the Channelsea river.Our discussion & design day on the 29th of January was a fantastic success. We were delighted to be joined by such an enthusiastic group of local residents, alongside those that had come from further afield, and our specialist speakers: Kate Spencer and Simon Read.Together we learnt about the river, and the work we can do to restore a more resilient and ecologically harmonious environment for the benefit of all species. We learnt that if we create the conditions for environment to flourish, the flora and fauna will come, and spent the afternoon designing our island interventions to make this positive change possible. Having now gathered these ideas, Surge Cooperative members have refined the many designs into three final islands. Now in the process of organising our Island Building day on the 12th of March, Surge are sourcing materials and securing another fantastic venue in which we can safely to work together.We looking forward to reconnecting with those that have joined us on this journey so far, and sharing the outcomes from our collective action in the near future.Project OverviewChannelsea Community Islands address two of the local priorities - Environment and Health and wellbeing.We know our rivers are polluted and need cleaning, so a floating habitat acts like a ‘liver for the river’, cleaning the water whilst also engaging people in thinking about the waste materials that enter the water system and developing ways to combat this. Getting us thinking about natural recycling processes, where nothing is wasted, but reused within a cyclical system.This project provides active re-greening of the waterspace, whilst educating and empowering ourselves and others by connecting to and safe-guarding our natural heritage, the Channlesea river, weaving these priorities together and informing us of the potential for us to play an active role in improving our environment. As part of the wider Ecology Park we are creating, this project will contribute to a safe and active outdoor space for Newham residents, improving health and well-being. In the future, the ecology park will also be a space where food growing will take place through a community orchard.

Surge Cooperative

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Channelsea Conservation & Care

Welcome to the Channelsea: caring for our blue green future

Channelsea Community Islands - £9875