Story So Far
Why “We Are Avon”
The Avon is our valley, our home, our past and our future. If we can protect and regenerate these lands and waters together as a community of reciprocity then a beautiful future is possible for many generations to come.
This catchment area and bioregion marks the original boundaries for the old county of Avon, 554,000 acres surrounding the Avon River.
We Are the valley, the river, belonging to place, entering reciprocal symbiosis, the first steps on a long pilgrimage back to indigeneity, but also forward into the emergent culture of regeneration.
At it’s core, this project is about a renewed place-based ‘Avon identity’ and rootedness for communities of practice, establishing long term relationships, physical hubs and infrastructure for transformation.
We Are Avon – Key watershed moments so far
• Established We Are Avon as an Organisation (CBS), account and foundations (2023-25)
• Completed the annual Avon pilgrimage and raised river Avon awareness
• Crowdfunded £23k from over 250 supporters to launch our work (2025)
• Raised £130k from the JJ Trust for 2 years of River Guardianship & Food/Land systems work (2025)
• Raised £26k from Commonland for Farm clusters, Food & Land branches of work (2025-26)
• Established a River Guardianship movement with hundreds of people engaged and 13 established and active groups from source to sea
• Hosted over 60 community discussions, events, visioning and workshops (2020-2026).
• Active restoration days, tree planting, monthly litter picks (2020-2026)
• 5 job roles, 3 co-directors and a co-working space (2024-2026)
• Developed plans for Food & Land Hub and a community share offer (2025-26)
• Farmer and Grower clusters networks across Avon (from 2025)
• Hosted Avon Fest for 2 years and organised the annual Avon Pilgrimage (from 2025)
• Worked with local councils for regional Rivers Charter and rights of Nature (2026)
• Began mapping land ownership, stories, hydrology and ecology across bioregion (2026)
Our Roots & Sources
Where have the seeds of this project emerged from?
Why are the soil conditions right for this to emerge now?
What is the potential of this vision and collaboration?
Source 1: Environment, River & Nature solutions
We need creative & collaborative solutions to the nature, food and river crises. New moment for environmental action, rooting in place.
Source 2: Regional growers and land stewards
Lived experience immersed in local food growing & movements, living the challenges and solutions to landscape and river renewal
Source 3: Bioregioning & place-based regeneration
Hope & vision for a bioregion coming back to life. We can build better food systems, clean rivers and diverse land and foodscapes
Source 4: River relationship and Guardianship
Lived entanglement with our dying river, and lived hope for a flourishing Avon for future generations
Stories of place
Our work is rooted in story, place, and belonging. How we relate to place defines how the story unfolds, and this requires all of us.
- 🌄 Ancient stories:
Stories of this place that relate to our indigeneity e.g. our Celtic & Druidic roots. These ancestral lands were stewarded by the Dubonni people, a peaceful tribe of farmers and craftspeople. - 🏛️ Old stories:
Stories of place in our region e.g. Bath as sacred City of Water, market garden town, food sufficient, abundant orchards, and largely wooded valley. - 🏢 Dominant stories:
Stories of place e.g. colonization, industrial era, then modernization and ‘financialization of place’ (and its waters/lands). - 🌱 Emerging stories:
Stories of place, Avon Bioregion as leader in regeneration, pioneering re-localisation of food systems, bioregional transformation, circular economies of care.