About – Love Our Ouse

Who we are

We are a group of local residents, nature lovers and professionals in a range of relevant sectors. We have established skills, network and community connections as well as relentless passion and determination! We really do Love our Ouse and want the best for it.

Love our Ouse is a registered Community Interest Company (working as a not for profit organisation). The objects of the Company are to carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to benefit all life along the length of the River Ouse in Sussex and its tributaries, including people and wildlife.

Meet the team

Natasha Padbury

Community engagement lead and general manager.
Also works as Sustainability Manager at Depot and 15 years experience coordinating community cultural projects.

Duncan Rawson

Organisational support and agricultural lead.
Also works at European Food and Farming Partnerships.

Emma Montlake

Grass roots legal support lead.
Also works as Director of Casework at Environmental Law Foundation

Matthew Bird

Project strategy and delivery lead.

Chartered Environmentalist, Climate and Sustainability professional with a background at local authorities. He’s a Lewes Town Councillor.

Sandra Manning-Jones

A river ecologist and charity manager with 15 years of experience in the water NGO sector across Sussex, including the River Ouse catchment.

Josh Levene

Background in anthropology and ecological design, with over 25 years of experience working with river-based communities in Africa, South Asia, and the UK.