Upcoming Events​

What if Rivers Had Rights? 9th of March, 2026 - St Denys Church Hall

If you care about cleaner water, thriving wildlife, and building a resilient city, your involvement is essential. Please join us for our next public meeting on 9th March at 19:15 in St Denys Church Hall, Dundee Road, SO17 2ND. 

We will be joined by leading campaigners and researchers in the UKs river rights movement. Together, we will explore how a Rights of the River Charter - built from the ground up by the community - can create real, lasting change for Southampton. 

We invite all who care about Southampton’s rivers to join a vital movement for Southampton’s future. Full invitation here. 

Previous Events

Southampton Film Week in November 2025

As part of 'Southampton Film Week', the group sponsored a second showing of I Am The River, The River Is Me at St Denys Church, this time using professional quality projection equipment. Sixty-three people attended the event, which included a panel discussion featuring:
  • Jim Murray MBE – Actor, passionate advocate for Hampshire's chalk rivers, Vice Chair of River Action, and host of 'The Last Salmon' podcast
  • Dave Rumble – Chief Executive Officer of Wessex Rivers Trust, dedicated to river restoration and raising awareness about chalk streams
  • Neil W. Williams – Lecturer in Philosophy, founding member and coordinator of the River Rights Network. 
The panel explored the pressing need to recognise and protect the rights of rivers and nature. Discussion focused on two key approaches: the legal route, involving laws and legislation; and the moral or spiritual route, which emphasises reconnection with nature and the nurturing of stewardship within communities. The panellists shared practical examples of rewilding and educational initiatives, addressed the limitations of current legislative protections, and emphasised the pivotal role of grassroots movements and community action in achieving meaningful change. Ultimately, the conversation called for a reimagining of society's relationship with rivers, blending legal advocacy with both personal and collective responsibility.

 Public Meeting in Late September 2025

A subsequent public meeting, attended by 38 people, explored community feelings about the Itchen in Southampton. The outputs from this session highlighted the richness and diversity of thoughts and emotions, illustrating how the River Itchen is experienced as more than just a physical space. For many, the river is a living presence, a repository of memories, an integral part of personal identity, and a locus for contested future possibilities. The discussion revealed:
  • Emotional depth and breadth, ranging from serenity to heartbreak, pride to despair
  • Calls to action, including appeals to protect, reconnect, restore, and reimagine the river
  • A shared sense of stewardship, viewing the river as a common space rather than a commodity
Read our full report on the event here. 

Film Screening in Early September, 2025

​The group hosted a screening of the multi award-winning film I Am The River, The River Is Me at St Denys Church Hall, which was attended by 60 people. The film tells the story of the Whanganui River in New Zealand, the first river in the world to be recognised as a legal person. Māori river guardian Ned Tapa invites an Australian First Nations Elder and his daughter—both activists fighting to save their own dying river—on a canoe journey down the Whanganui. Created in close collaboration with the Whanganui Māori, the film serves as a positive and urgent call to action for the rights of nature. Following the screening, attendees engaged in a lively and thoughtful discussion.