RESIDENTS who joined forces after their houses were devastated by floods in the 1980s are planning to clean up sections of the River Ouse if they win the £400 offered in our River Rescue competition.

BLAST - or Bootham, Longfield and Sycamore Terrace Association - joined together to carry out river care projects after floods in the mid-1980s.

Now Roy Stringer from the group has nominated it for the Evening Press River Rescue campaign.

The Evening Press has teamed up with Yorkshire Water to encourage people to take care of river courses in North Yorkshire and the East Riding in the River Rescue project.

For the next six months, Yorkshire Water is offering £400 a month to a community group or school that comes up with the best project to help rivers.

Roy said if the group is successful they are planning to buy new equipment such as tools or a pressure washer to clean up the tow path.

He said: "I think people get a lot of enjoyment from rivers. There are always walkers, people with dogs, joggers and boat users.

"The river brings a lot of tourists to York but you tend to take it for granted.

"A lot of people care for the river banks even if they are just picking up a broken bottle."

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning £400 over the next six months, why not give it a try?

The competition is open to schools and any kind of charitable organisation, including Scouts and Guides, residents' associations, rowing clubs or environmental groups.

Organisations with more than five members are asked to submit projects which, in some way benefit the region's river courses. The ideas can be as simple as producing information boards on river issues or providing speakers to talk to groups about rivers.

They can also be more ambitious, such as cleaning a stretch of river or creating disabled access on riverbanks for tourists.

A panel of judges from Yorkshire Water and the Evening Press will select the best ideas which will then receive £400 from Yorkshire Water to help the project along.

Projects which are not successful the first time round will be put forward and considered with the next batch.

To enter, email rosemary.cook@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 09:19 Wednesday, December 11, 2002