Stop Ure Pollution began with an editorial in the Upper Wensleydale Newsletter in March 2024 which asked:
‘What do the Wharfe, the Nidd and the Swale have that our Ure doesn’t? The first three have groups of volunteers who are monitoring those rivers with the aim of reducing pollution. Surely it is time we also had such a group.’

There was such a large response that on April 30 the Association of Rural Communities sponsored a meeting at Leyburn Methodist Church Hall – and 120 people came. An interim committee prepared the way for the meeting on June 25 at which Stop Ure Pollution was officially inaugurated with Prof Richard Loukota as its chairman.

Following that over 50 people volunteered to be citizen scientists working with Stop Ure Pollution and the Yorkshire Dales River Trust  (YDRT) in August and October to test the water of the River Ure and some of its tributaries. See News and Results for further details.

Below: training with Mary Boyd of YDRT ready to start sampling the waters of the river. With thanks to Lord Bolton for allowing us to use Lord's Bridge on the Bolton Estate for the training day and subsequent water sampling. 

Richard Loukota - Chairman.  Richard lives in upper Wensleydale near Aysgarth, he is a professor emeritus of surgery, he has fished on the River Ure for over 25 years, is a conservationist and walker. He is also a committee member of the Kennel Field Trust charity.  He liases with other local, regional and national groups. 

Toby Milbank - Vice Chairman. Toby is a keen amateur birdwatcher, conservationist and fisherman who lives near Bedale and spends time walking in Wensleydale and fishing on the Ure. 

Douglas Palethorpe -  A chef and maintenance man who lives in Middleham and who has noticed a decline in the river biodiversity and fish population whilst living close to the river.

Luke Pearce - Luke lives at Ulshaw, and is an Investment Manager but more importantly a fisherman who is married to a wild swimmer. He walks his dogs along the banks of the River Ure twice a day.

Mark Thompson - Treasurer.  Mark jumped at the chance to move to Bedale after university in order to spend as much time cycling, hiking, running and swimming in Yorkshire's beautiful National Parks. When not out and about he can be found tending to his allotment. As an Environmental Scientist, he is most interested in data collection and analysis.

Pip Pointon - Administrative officer. She lives in Aysgarth, is a retired journalist and overseas aid worker.