GREEN MP Ellie Chowns has been awarded the Rivers & Seas prize at this year’s Political Purpose Awards for her work protecting the River Wye.

The award, sponsored by River Action, recognises UK politicians who have gone the extra mile in protecting and restoring our rivers.

Dr Chowns – MP for the North Herefordshire constituency, which the River Wye runs through north of Ross-on-Wye – was recognised for her long-running work on the rivers Wye and Lugg, and for championing practical solutions that bring farmers, communities, and government together.

Her work includes founding and co-chairing the All Party Parliamentary Group for water pollution, serving on the environmental audit committee, and continuously holding the government to account for greater action to tackle agricultural pollution and support farmers to transition to river-friendly farming methods.

Dr Chowns said: “I’m absolutely humbled to receive this award and to have been recognised alongside such committed nominees.

“The River Wye is not an abstract line on a map; it is part of people’s everyday lives, livelihoods, and stories, and I am committed to fighting to see them restored and protected.

“That work means listening to farmers and giving them support and funding to adopt river-friendly practices, taking agricultural pollution as seriously as sewage, and properly resourcing the Environment Agency so they have the funding and teeth needed to protect our waters.

“This award belongs to everyone who has campaigned, monitored, and refused to accept the status quo. I accept it on behalf of the Wye and the Lugg, and on behalf of everyone fighting for healthy rivers and seas across the UK.”

Dr Chowns spoke in the House of Commons and pressed for the sustained funding needed to turn ambitious, practical plans into long-term delivery.

She said she will continue to press ministers in Parliament to match local ambition with the funding and policy support these landscape recovery projects need.