NIC KANE / COPHAM BATHING

This series of photographs show members of the Conham Bathing group swimming and enjoying the River Avon on a summer’s day. Conham Bathing is a community group of swimmers campaigning for improved river health for the Rive rAvon.

The urban Bristol Avon has the 3rd most sewage spills in England, and water quality monitoring by the Environment Agency is infrequent and insufficient. Conham River Park, a beautiful stretch of the Avon just outside the city, has been a popular swimming spot for generations, but there have been many reports of people getting ill from pollution in the river.

As captured in the series of photographs, the group have conducted annual water sampling at Conham since 2021. In 2022, they received 5,000 signatures for a petition to Bristol Council to remove a local swimming ban, and in 2024 launched the Thriving Avon Charter, acommunity document which lists the rights of the River Avon and the duties of its guardians.

These photographs have been exhibited for World Rivers Day at Bristol Aquarium alongside Rave on for the Avon documentary screening.