A Proud Moment for HAA: Award Recognition for Our Work with Community Payback South West

We’re incredibly proud to share that Highbridge Angling Association (HAA) has received a community award in recognition of our long-running partnership with Community Payback – South West and the ongoing restoration of Walrow Lakes in Highbridge.

This isn’t just an award for us—it’s a celebration of what can happen when a small local club and a group of passionate people come together with a shared goal: to bring a forgotten piece of land back to life.

🧱 From a Forgotten Brickworks to a Thriving Habitat

Walrow Lakes has a rich history. Once part of a Victorian brickworks, the lakes were formed when clay was dug out of the land. After the brick production stopped, the site was sadly left to deteriorate. Over the years, tonnes of waste were dumped into the lakes, and the area became overgrown and neglected.

In 2020, during a particularly hot spell, the water quality took a dramatic dip. Fish began to die, and it was clear we couldn’t ignore the problem any longer.

That summer became the catalyst for change. We made the decision as a club to completely overhaul the site—and what a journey it’s been.

🤝 Eight Years of Hands-On Work with Community Payback

We’ve been working closely with Community Payback for over eight years now, and they’ve played a massive part in the transformation of the lakes. Every week, a dedicated group of individuals on probation come down to Walrow, roll up their sleeves, and get stuck in—often alongside our own members.

They’ve:

• Cleared decades of dumped waste
• Helped us drain and reshape the lakes
• Created a brand new fourth lake to support fish breeding and biodiversity
• Built accessible walkways and paths using woodchip from the site
• Constructed dead hedges and wildlife habitats using only natural, repurposed materials
• Opened up access to the lakes for those with limited mobility

The result? A space that has been completely transformed—not just for anglers, but for local wildlife, families, school groups, and the wider community.

🐟 Restoring Nature and Reconnecting People

We’ve seen an incredible boost in biodiversity at Walrow. With cleaner water and better habitat, fish stocks are thriving again. Birds are nesting. Kingfishers and herons are regular visitors. Swans and ducks call it home. You’d be surprised how much life can return once you give nature a helping hand.

It’s not just the environment that’s benefited. Working side-by-side on the project has opened up conversations, taught new skills, and given people an outlet. As one of the supervisors put it:

“The regeneration of the lakes has been engaging and rewarding—not just for me, but for many of the people on probation. The importance of biodiversity and habitat creation has been a real learning curve for us all.”

And for us, as a community club, there’s something deeply rewarding about watching people grow through this kind of hands-on work.

🏆 What This Award Means to Us

Receiving this award means a lot. It recognises the hours of work that have gone into the site. It honours the commitment of everyone involved—our members, volunteers, and the Community Payback team. And more than anything, it shines a light on what can be achieved when people come together with care and purpose.

But we’re not finished.

This project continues to evolve. We have plans for even more access improvements, educational opportunities, and habitat development. Our goal is simple: to protect and improve Walrow Lakes not just for anglers, but for everyone in Highbridge and Burnham.

📍 Come Visit Walrow

If you haven’t visited the lakes in a while—or ever!—we’d love for you to come and see what’s changed. We promise you’ll be surprised. Tucked away among new housing and hidden greenery, Walrow is an oasis we’re incredibly proud of. And thanks to this partnership, it’s only getting better.

From all of us at HAA—thank you for your support, and here’s to what we can continue to achieve together.

– Highbridge Angling Association Committee