The Thames is one of the World's most fascinating and beautiful rivers. From source to sea its 200-plus miles flow from bubbling springs in Gloucestershire to the site of the old London Bridge, then on to the imposing tidal estuary to the east of London.

The river is a dynamic entity and there are many challenges that the River Thames Society - a registered charity founded in 1962 - currently seeks to address, including:

• The loss of waterside boat yards and related facilities to new and exclusive residential developments

• the multi- million challenge facing the Environment Agency who are striving to overcome the arrears of maintenance on lock and associated navigation structures

• the need to monitor new developments, particularly on the tideway in order to ensure the maintenance and improvement of facilities for those who wish to gain access to and from the river

• the developments and effects of the Thames Gateway project.

If you are excited by these challenges and you would you like to:

• help preserve and extend the amenity value of the Thames and encourage its use in a sustainable manner?

• protect the natural beauty of the Thames and encourage nature conservation?

• support the protection of land and buildings of historical and architectural interest adjacent to the river?

• join an organisation that represents your interests the length of the river, from the Cotswolds to the sea, and works with other river-based organisations (see Links Page) to achieve its objectives.

If the answer is YES to one or more of the above then the River Thames Society is for you. Click here for membership details.