Katy is River Action’s Senior Development Coordinator. Before starting at River Action she worked for 20 years in the health, social care and housing sectors. Her career spans roles in strategic commissioning for local authorities, evidence informed practice in social care, and in business/operational management for charitable organisations working with people who are homelessness.
She is committed to using her experience, including developing partnerships, fundraising and monitoring/evaluation, to ensure resources are available for our rivers, and are making the most impact. Katy’s passion for the health of the UK’s rivers has developed through an affinity with nature, and personal experience of enjoying swimming and canoeing in and on the rivers around Oxfordshire.
Ian leads media at River Action, with over 20 years’ experience amplifying urgent issues, from climate justice to humanitarian crises, for organisations including the UN, Red Cross, Oxfam, and Save the Children. His work in conflict zones and disaster areas earned him the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal, awarded through the Australian honours system.
Raised poor in the industrial heart of the West Midlands, Ian found escape in nature, and in supporting Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. His formative years shaped a lifelong drive to challenge systems that exploit people and the planet.
Today, he lives in a quirky hilltop community above Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. From there, he campaigns to hold polluters to account and expose the damage being done to our rivers.
Erica is the Head of Engagement at River Action. She has previously worked for National Trust, Defra, Which? and was the former Head of Government and Rural Affairs at Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) , developing campaigns, policy and political lobbying on affordable rural housing, farm scale and renewable energy.
Erica led CPRE’s political influence on the 2015 Housing and Planning Bill, advocating for a thriving countryside for all. She worked closely with Defra as it redesigned the way agriculture is supported as the UK exited the European Union.
Chloe is a Senior Engagement Coordinator at River Action and a passionate advocate for the transformative power of individuals to shape their environment. With a background in community work in various charitable organisations, Chloe has fostered connections with diverse communities to mobilise them towards positive change to the world around them.
Chloe’s passion for connecting people with nature began during her time as a youth worker in Manchester. Here, she witnessed the positive impact that being in nature had on the young people she worked with.
Her career has included a significant role in the Resilient River Valleys project at Groundwork GM, where she linked communities to the River Irk, championed nature based solutions, and organised volunteers to combat flood risks. In her role, Chloe took a lead in the fight for climate justice, steering efforts towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Charles is the founder and Chair of River Action. He is a highly experienced business leader across the field of professional services and the communications sector. In recent years he has held a number of senior leadership roles across these industries including CEO of Financial Dynamics (2001-2012), Chairman of the Karma Communications Group (2012-2015) and Chairman of Teneo International (2015-2020).
In June 2020 he exited the commercial sector to focus primarily on environmental conservation, sustainable development and impact investment. In addition to founding and chairing River Action, Charles is currently the Chairman of the Island Initiative, an NGO focussed on working with small island communities around a range of sustainable development issues. He is on the board of The Conduit Connect – a rapidly growing impact investment platform and is an active early-stage investor across a range of social impact and environmental technology enterprises.
Amy is Head of Campaigns at River Action. She was the former Head of Campaigns & Policy at Surfers Against Sewage and led campaigns, policy and project work on plastic pollution, ocean recovery, water quality, and ocean & climate. Amy spearheaded the #EndSewagePollution campaign, launched in 2020, calling out water companies and the government on their failures to address sewage pollution into rivers and the ocean, bringing together NGOs, politicians and the public to drive action on water quality.
She has been a key driver in pushing support for the Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill and amendments in the Environment Act to improve water quality legislation, and managed the only UK wide water quality information service, the Safer Seas & Rivers Service.
James is Chief Executive of River Action. He is a naturalist, archaeologist and social entrepreneur and has established enterprises ranging from renewable energy, regenerative agriculture and green finance to ecotourism, nature restoration and deep sea exploration. Prior to helping Charles Watson develop River Action into a national charity, James was CEO and Co-founder of Beaver Trust where he led the coalition to protect and live alongside native beavers.
James campaigns to rescue Britain’s rivers using systemic, local solutions, working collaboratively in the freshwater emergency. He convenes national stakeholders, bringing together government, industry, NGO and community leaders to secure abundant, clean water and restore wildlife habitats, while holding polluters and regulators to account in the courts of public opinion and law.
Bic is River Action’s Finance and Operations Manager who is responsible for managing finance and operations at River Action. She is a qualified FCCA accountant with over 7 years of working experience in the charity sector.
Bic is originally from Vietnam but now she lives in the beautiful North Wales where she enjoys being close to nature and wildlife.
