VOLUNTEERS are being asked to put their best welly forwards this Saturday to do their bit to help improve their local environment in West Devon. The Ockment Rivers Improvement Group is holding another river clean up — and they are asking for people of all ages to come along and join in at 10am by meeting at the recycling bins at Waitrose car park in Okehampton. These are exciting times for the group who recently secured £29,000, of a job estimated at £35,000, to help finance their environmental project. Set up in 2000, the group originally had funding from Rocket, the Aggregate Tax Levy, South West Water and the West Country River Trust to restore the weir at West Bridge, Okehampton. Much debris and rubbish has been removed and the group has cleared scrub and foilage from overgrowing trees to freshen up the river. But much more work needs to be done. Christine Marsh, who is chairman of ORIG, said: 'It is so much better for the people visiting Okehampton now the weir will be in situ as it used to be. 'With the funding it is hoped that major works can start in earnest in April and the group is doing what it can now to benefit the whole community — locals and visitors alike. 'It is surprising how attitudes in the last few years towards cleaning up rivers have changed. Unfortunately, we still get lots of bottles, plastic bags and other litter being thrown in the river.' Christine explained that because fish in the river have come to spawn the Environment Agency will not permit alteration work up until April 1 when the fish begin to swim away.
