BW Celebrates Waterway Volunteers
17 September 2008
British Waterways (BW) is celebrating the diversity and importance of the volunteering that takes place across its canals and rivers by recognising ten projects that have been particularly successful in the past 12 months. Ranging from heritage recording and ranger services to physical construction works and encouraging community engagement, BW will be highlighting the value of the projects by presenting an 'acknowledgement' award to each.
The ten projects singled out to receive one of the inaugural awards were all nominated by BW staff and the presentations will be made during October by BW's regional general managers.
Last year BW was involved with volunteer-led projects that contributed over 8,000 volunteer days to the promotion and upkeep of the waterways worth in excess of £400,000.
Robin Evans, BW chief executive, comments: "The waterways have a long history of volunteering which is still central to the delivery of physical works, customer service, research and promotional activities. Through their dedication, commitment and extensive knowledge of the waterways, volunteers directly benefit the fabric of the nation’s canal network as well as adding colour and interest for visitors and improving daily life on the waterways.
"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers on our inland waterways. If we could, we'd thank them all individually but I hope that this can be seen as a start to greater recognition of their efforts and their importance to our canals and rivers."
Each of the projects selected for an award has taken place or has come to fruition in the past year. The projects are:
• West Midlands – Waterway Recovery Group in association with and the Inland Waterways Association for clean up activities on the Bradley Arm – their 11th year of extensive volunteer Clean Ups on the Birmingham Canal Navigations
• Scotland – Royal Bank of Scotland working with The Waterways Trust Scotland for an employee volunteer day at The Falkirk Wheel
• South West – Kennet & Avon Canal Trust for safety standards work on 55 locks on the eastern end of the Kennet & Avon Canal
• East Midlands – Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association for ongoing promotion and restoration work on the Erewash Canal
• South East – Wendover Arm Trust for ongoing promotion and restoration work on the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal
• North West – The Inland Waterway Protection Society for ongoing promotion, maintenance and restoration work at Bugsworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal
• London – Slough Arm Canalkeepers and Thames21 for ongoing rangering services on the Grand Union Canal
• Wales & Border Counties – Shropshire Union Canal Society for customer service improvements, promoting and developing the canal
• Yorkshire – Adsetts Canal Project for ongoing community involvement and practical maintenance at Tinsley Basin on the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal
• Central (Droitwich Canals Restoration) – Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology and Local History Society for heritage recording of the canal
Earlier in 2008 BW appointed a national volunteering manager to improve BW's engagement with volunteers and increase volunteer support. A further objective of the role is to create greater consistency in approach to working with volunteers and support for volunteer organisations.
ENDS
For media enquiries contact:
Jonathan Ludford, T. 020 7985 7275, M. 07747 897783, jonathan.ludford@britishwaterways.co.uk
Notes to editors:
British Waterways is a not-for-dividend public corporation which cares for a 2,200-mile network of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs across Britain. It is accountable to the Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs in England and Wales and to the Scottish Government in Scotland and works with a broad range of public, private and voluntary sector partners to protect and find new uses for the nation's historic waterways.