Worcestershire County Cricket Club have joined forces with The Swan Food Project which looks after the hundreds of swans who inhabit the River Severn in the area immediately adjacent to New Road.
The swans are a massive attraction for locals and visitors to the city but need the sort of support and dietary requirements that the charity provides on a voluntary basis.
Worcestershire are working hand in hand with the project with the aim of helping them to attract more volunteers to carry out their sterling work but also to raise awareness of what the project entails.
It was founded in 2014 to improve the diet of swans in Worcester’s swan sanctuary, to improve their environment and to help people learn about and understand swans.
Their long-term goal is to ensure the welfare of swans in Worcester for fifty or a hundred years from now – and beyond.
Worcestershire will be selling the specialist sort of swan food that these birds require and it can be purchased from The View reception.
Joe Tromans, Head of Worcestershire Commercial and Partnerships, confirmed: “We are partnering up with The Swan Food project, which is based on the River Severn here, to try and help them with their immediate goals and their long-term goals.
“At the moment, this is a completely volunteer-based organisation which looks after the swans on the river.
“We are going to help them in trying to attract some more volunteers to help them on a daily basis but also raise awareness of the charity.
“New Road will also provide a base from which the people can purchase swan food, which will be available from our main reception.
“Worcester is renowned for swans, and it is a beautiful sight to see them gliding up and down the river everyday.
“The proximity to New Road makes it perfect for us to work with them to help them with the brilliant work they are doing on a daily basis.”
The swan sanctuary on the River Severn was set aside for swans in the early 1980s. Until then, Worcester was heavily fished, and swans fell very ill with lead poisoning or became entangled in fishing lines.
The landowners, Worcester Cathedral and Worcester City Council gave up their income from fishing permits for the welfare of the swans.
As a result, the swan population in Worcester has recovered, as it has nationally since most lead fishing weights were banned in 1987.
The sanctuary lies between Worcester Cathedral and the railway viaduct north of Worcester Bridge.
To volunteer or find out more info; click here or use this contact form.
