The Worshipful Company of Plumbers’ 40th Annual Lecture, titled “Tales from the Riverbank: Is There an Environmental Crisis? Who’s to Blame?”, is set to take place on 12 May at Wax Chandlers Hall in London.
Dr Peter Matthews CBE and Mark Lloyd are to be keynote speakers at the event. According to the company, they will explore the origins of how the UK manages inland waters, the parties involved, the state of waterways and public concerns regarding water quality. A critical examination will be made of the extent of the crisis and the political drivers behind the ongoing challenges with water management, it stated.
Dr Matthews has worked in water management for 60 years with a career that spans from front line technical operations in a water utility to environmental policy. He has progressed through the ranks of the Scientific Branch of Greater London Council and Anglian Water. Currently, Dr Matthews focuses on volunteering with the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators.
Mark Lloyd read Geography at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, completing a Master’s in Environmental Water Management at Cranfield University. He founded Thames21 in 1994, a charity that cleans up London’s rivers. he led the organisation for 11 years. Following this, he served as a CEO of several angling and conservation organisations. In 2019, Mark became chief executive of The Rivers Trust.
The Worshipful Company of Plumbers’ said those who should attend include liverymen, corporate members, apprentices, trainees, students and anyone interested.
Tickets for the Plumbers’ Annual Lecture are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
The event is set to start at 5:15pm, followed by the lecture at 6:00pm. After the lecture, there will be a drinks reception at 7:15pm, and a dinner at 8pm at Brasserie Blanc. The evening will end at approximately 9:30pm.