River 'wife' hopes Avon will gain new rights

A woman who "married" the River Avon in a campaign against sewage pollution is now calling for the river to be given greater legal protections.

Meg Avon took part in a ceremony in Bristol in 2023 to raise awareness of untreated sewage being pumped into waterways.

Now she is working with researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE) on a campaign aimed at strengthening protections for the Avon and changing the way people think about rivers.

"I married my river in Bristol but I spread the love upstream and downstream and suddenly you're looking at the whole planet," Avon said.

Alongside researching the rights of rivers, Avon is also working on developing the first ever cross-council river charter with North Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol City and South Gloucester Councils.

All four councils that the Avon runs through would join together to declare the river as a living entity that "needs to be protected", Avon said.

She said if they are successful in declaring the river as a legal entity, she would renew her vows with the river and become an advocate for the river's rights.

"It's a story that moves people," Avon added.

"It moved people at the time and it still moves people now - I sacrificed the career I was going down and built something new.

"People really engage with stories of big loss and big gain."

Elena Blanco, a law researcher at UWE, is working with Avon on creating the cross-council charter.

"The rights of nature change our relationship with the world," Blanco said.

"Bristol is an environmentally-aware city. Numbers don't move people but stories change things on a human level."

Blanco added that the fact the River Wye has become the first river in the UK to be given cross-border rights gives her hope for their own project.

"It's symbolic but it also means the river is represented in council decisions," Blanco added.

"Meg's persona as the river's wife helps. It's brings civility to the story."

Charlotte Sawyer, a documentary film maker who made the film "Rave on for the Avon", said people in Bristol are using many different avenues to campaign for the river.

"It's ordinary people. It's not just about a law changing but it's the fact that person by person, we're starting to get to know our rivers more and more, ordinary people," Sawyer said.

"Even though we talk about sewage pollution, overall, it's about love and joy and community and fun."

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.