Pop legend Feargal Sharkey to throw support behind Shropshire clean rivers campaigners at Shrewsbury event

The singer, who found fame with The Undertones in the 1970s with hit records including Teenage Kicks, will be speaking at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury for a people’s assembly this Saturday (March 22).

The Derry-born star has found himself in the public eye more recently as a campaigner for clean rivers, making multiple media appearances on shows including Good Morning Britain and Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing.

The event in the county town has been organised by Up Sewage Creek, a local group which has been vocal in calling for a cleaner River Severn, including organising several protests.

Around 120 people will be in attendance, with all the seats having been snapped up already.

Mr Sharkey will be speaking on video link and will be joined by James Lock from the River Don Project for the event, where focus will be on a key question: how will we ensure that future generations have clean water and healthy river ecosystem?

Claire Kirby from Up Sewage Creek said: “We’re asking residents from across Shrewsbury and beyond to join us as we come together to discuss the horrendous state of the River Severn. 

“We believe the only way to manage the situation holistically is to trust the people instead of letting greedy, sewage-dumping water companies dominate the agenda.

“This assembly is a way to get change to happen from the grassroots up. 

“I don’t know what ideas will come out of it, but I do know that we need ordinary residents to make our voices heard if we’re going to fight back against corporate sewage dumping. 

“We’re thrilled to have Feargal Sharkey as a guest speaker alongside James Lock from the River Don project in Sheffield. 

“They will join us on a live video link to bring us up to speed on the crisis our rivers are in and offer a successful example of how we can do better. 

“Then we – the people – will put our heads together to imagine creative ways to save our magnificent Severn.”

The event will kick off with a colourful ‘Severn Spirit’ procession from Wakeman Gardens to Theatre Severn leaving at 10.30am and arriving at 11.15am. 

Inside the theatre, guest speakers will set out the scale of the issue facing the UK’s waterways. 

The audience will then break into small, facilitated groups to discuss the best way forward before coming together to agree on three urgent actions to inform and empower the local and national debate after the event.

The people’s assembly comes as the river pollution issue continues to cause a stink in Parliament. 

Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley – who will be present at the assembly alongside local councillors – has repeatedly raised the damage being done to the Severn in the Commons.

Meanwhile her fellow Labour backbencher Clive Lewis has the second reading of his private member’s Our Water Our Way Water Bill on Friday, March 28. The Bill calls for a Citizen’s Assembly to discuss renationalisation of the water industry.   

“We all know that if you want something done, you need to do it yourself,” Claire added. “The future of the River Severn can’t be left to the water companies or even politicians. 

“If Shrewsbury residents care about the Severn, we need to save it ourselves. Come and join us on Saturday as we decide how to do it!”