Clear Cut Conservation (CCC), which works with the Trust to keep Loughborough's waterways clean and attractive for people and wildlife, made an appeal for volunteers last month.
The team have worked on the town's waterways for almost ten years, heading out onto the River Soar each week in their 20ft boat to scoop rubbish out of the water and get into the places that are hard to reach by land.
Over time numbers had dwindled leaving two remaining members, Barrie Ball and David Ingram, but with both approaching their 80s they put out a call for new members to get involved.
After their plight attracted the interest of local media the team have been inundated with offers of help and are now back up to full strength, recruiting three new members.
David commented: “We've been amazed and overwhelmed at the response and it's all been a bit of a whirlwind. I've had people recognising me in the shops and we've even had national media interest, which is incredible.
“We're really grateful to have had so many offers of help and we've been able to recruit three great new people to help us out. We're now at the stage where we don't need any more volunteers but if people do still want to make a difference then they can join the Trust's Towpath Taskforce which we work with closely.”
Oliver Lockett, volunteer leader for the Canal & River Trust, said: “It's great news that CCC are back up to full strength, they do an incredible job and we're hugely grateful for all that they do.
“It's been nice to see Loughborough in the limelight recently and the efforts of our local volunteers getting some much-deserved recognition. They help to make sure that the River Soar in the town remains a haven for wildlife as well as a great place for us all to relax and escape the bustle of daily life.”
Anyone wanting to play their part in improving the River Soar in Loughborough can take part in one of our weekly Towpath Taskforces which take place every Wednesday.
