Last week, we heard the wonderful news that the Broomfield Park Wetland in Enfield has been shortlisted for the 2021 Edie Sustainability Leaders Awards in the Water Management category. The Edie Sustainability Leaders Awards recognise green excellence in business, with categories ranging from individual business leaders to green recovery initiatives. The awards are now in their 14^th year and have once again received a record number of nominations. Adding to the project being highly commended in the Susdrain Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) Awards and shortlisted for the 2020 Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Awards, this tops off a fantastic year for a flagship Rivers Trust achievement. Whilst this particular award nomination is led by Coca-Cola and The Rivers Trust, the project itself is one of collaboration. With Thames21, Enfield Council led the design and construction of the wetlands, from identifying the perfect site to monitoring their benefits. WWF-UK, Friends of Broomfield Park, and local community group the Pymmes BrookERS provided valuable support. Broomfield Park wetland is just one of the several projects in the South East that contribute to Coca-Cola’s global Replenish programme to safely return the equivalent amount of water used in all their drinks and production to communities and nature.

Since it was constructed in early 2019, the wetland has already delivered multiple benefits.

The wetland was designed primarily to improve water quality in the nearby Pymmes Brook, a tributary of the Lower Lea that is one of the more polluted rivers in the UK. A surface water sewer running through Broomfield Park drains an urban area of 34 hectares and carries a range of pollutants, including metals, nutrients and hydrocarbons. Flow from the sewer pipe has been diverted into the newly constructed wetland, thereby mitigating the pollution before it reaches the nearby brook. The project also realises a reduction in local flood risk as some of the surface runoff discharging across the park and the wider catchment during heavy and prolonged rainfall can be stored in the wetland and released slowly over time. The wetland continues to engage the local community, providing access to and enjoyment of a feature of high aesthetic and biodiversity value. To be recognised in such prestigious awards is testament to the hard work of all the project partners, and demonstrates the power of our collaborative approach centred around implementing nature-based solutions to address nature degradation and the climate crisis. We are so proud, and keeping our fingers crossed for the virtual awards ceremony in February!