It has never received the same attention as its counterparts in tourist cities, such as the Ouse in York.

But times are changing, with businesses becoming more environmentally aware. Offices and apartments are being developed on the banks, so the river is also increasing in prominence.

The River Stewardship Company is just being established after its creation was approved by Sheffield Council's cabinet last month.

But the two stewards it employs, Richard Saunders, aged 27, and Hannah Shaw, 28, have been working on the river since last autumn, having initially been hired as council employees.

They have already made a difference.

And Forgemasters has become the first firm to hire the stewards to clean and maintain river banks next to its site at Brightside.

Showing off a section of river bank on the northeast side of Corporation Street bridge, near Kelham Island, Richard said: "This is the first area we worked on. The vegetation was waist-high and there was a lot of litter and waste that had been fly-tipped."

He and colleague Hannah were accompanied by 25 volunteers from regeneration agency Creative Sheffield.

It is now much cleaner – although there is still work to do.
More litter has been blown onto the bank and some Japanese knotweed, an invasive weed that chokes out rival plants, remains present, which will need treating with weedkiller.

Richard added that the pair are planning to head out into the middle of the river in a boat to remove debris from around the bridge, which were washed up in last summer's flood.

Hannah said the river clean-up has already resulted in the return of some wildlife.

"There's been otter footprints, dippers, birds, plus the return of freshwater fish such as grayling," she said.

Sheffield Council service manager Scott Porter said the river banks have been in a state for so long because sections of the bank are owned by so many different companies and individuals, who had never been asked to keep their area tidy.

Richard believes the main impetus for finally doing something about the problem is down to new development.

"Where there has been residential development, people's minds are really focused on cleaning the river," he said.

Another area of work by the stewards was around Ball Street bridge, Kelham Island, where a group of volunteers also lent a hand.

Here, eight tonnes of rubbish has been removed, including an entire skip filled just with old shopping trolleys, and vegetation was pruned.
But, again, work is still not complete, with more rubbish and debris having been washed into the area from upstream.

Next to an island in the middle of the river, an entire tree has come to a halt at the top of a weir – which must be removed – and there's an old tyre half-buried in the mud.

It could take several years to fully clear the river banks but Hannah and Richard are undaunted.

Richard said: "We are showing how good areas can look and raising the profile of the river, which has led to a lot of interest in what we are doing."

Now the project's long-term success depends on whether that interest will lead to the 170 firms owning land alongside the Don signing up to have their river banks maintained.

The income would allow the project to be self-sufficient.


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