Help FOTE to save our river

 

One of the best ways you can help save the Ems is to lobby influential people by email. Here are some guidelines. Good luck and let us know how you get on. 

  • Say who you are and where you live, and that you are a supporter of Friends of the Ems.
  • Say you know the Ems was once a strong river supporting water meadows, water mills and watercress beds.
  • Read the information on our website and use the points that mean the most to you.
  • Say why you care about the Ems and associated waterways (e.g. childhood memories, wildlife haven, swimming, boating, fishing, walks, stress relief etc.).
  • Say how you feel about the lack of water in recent years.
  • Say what you want to happen (e.g. a viable flow all year round, an end or very substantial reduction in water taken from the underground sources of the Ems).
  • Say you want a reply.
  • Don't be afraid to be direct and clear but be polite. Even minor abuse lets the recipient off the hook because they can dismiss your views.
  • Encourage sympathetic politicians or groups to continue to back our campaign and let them know the issue is still alive locally.
  • Copy in FOTE and campaign organisations. 

 

Who to write to

 

Decision makers

Portsmouth Water                                                                head.office@portsmouthwater.co.uk

Environment Agency                                                            enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Trudy Harrison, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.                                   trudy.harrison.mp@parliament.uk

 

Political influencers

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Chalk Streams           charles.walker.mp@parliament.uk

Gillian Keegan, MP for Chichester                                  gillian.keegan.mp@parliament.uk

West Sussex county councillor Andrew Kerry-Bedell      andrew.kerry-bedell@westsussex.gov.uk

Chichester district councillor Roy Briscoe                        rbriscoe@chichester.gov.uk   

(Gillian and Roy have backed our campaign. See responses to Gillian from the Environment Agency and Portsmouth Water here)

 

Campaign groups

Sussex Wildlife Trust                                                         enquiries@sussexwt.org.uk

Salmon & Trout Conservation                                           hq@salmon-trout.org

Chalk Aquifer Alliance                                                       libbyranzetta@gmail.com

Arun and Rother River Trust                                             https://arrt.org.uk/contact/ 

Save Our South Coast Alliance (SOSCA)                         https://www.sosca.org.uk/

Wild Trout Trust                                                                 https://www.wildtrout.org/