A woman who “married” the River Avon said the event had changed her life.

Megan Ruth-Trump and her friends gathered for the ceremony in Bristol in 2023.

Her aim was to raise awareness about untreated sewage being pumped into the waterways, but she said the event had now grown into something “bigger”.

“We put together a wedding event that would celebrate love for the river. It would bring people together - it started as a joke but quickly got attention,” she said.

…

Speaking about the wedding, she said: "It felt bigger than the event itself. It felt a bit sacrificial - people’s reaction was strong, they thought it was weird and funny and powerful.

“Marriage is a human tradition meaning union, promising care. It was very moving. People were moved to act.”

She added that the event “changed her life”, saying: "I was brought together with a lot of strong women in film, science, and journalism.

"I was now connected to other river campaigns - all the rivers are connected.

“It’s a huge inspiration for my poetry. I’ll attempt to be a river bride poet in Bristol.”

…

Artist Kim Kaos has also been backing the campaign. He created a puppet representing a river goddess to draw attention to the issue and help people relate to the river as “a being”.

Mr Kaos describes himself as an arts activist - he uses his art to “amplify campaigns”.

“The river is a big thing for people to conceive - the puppet can embody the spiritual side of the river,” he said.