All you need to know about our waterways
The creation of a charity means an exciting new chapter for our canals and rivers, giving communities the chance to manage them. By Jane Taylor
Why have canals been in the news?
In a bold experiment, Parliament has turned British Waterways, the public corporation that owns and runs 2,200 miles of the nation’s canals and rivers, into a charity. It’s a twist on denationalisation: not public to private, but public to social ownership, in the form of the Canal & River Trust. Its motto is “keeping people, nature and history connected”.
Why has this happened?
British Waterways was feeling the squeeze of austerity budgets, so it made sense to switch before cuts bit too deeply – the Government has since promised a £1bn funding package for the next 15 years. The Scottish government has decided on its own course, and will take responsibility for Scotland’s waterways. The consensus is that we’re enjoying a revival of canals, and stakeholders hope the Canal & River Trust will evolve into a ‘National Trust for the waterways’.
Will this be a second golden age for canals?
Yes, though not of a kind the original canal pioneers would recognise. Mainly created in the late 18th century, inland waterways were the arteries of the gathering industrial revolution, criss-crossing the country and reaching into the hearts of cities. One horse could draw two tons of coal on a barge, so for a century the canals transported the raw materials and goods that powered national progress. But with the arrival of railways in the 1830s, the decline of working boats was inevitable. After the 1940s’ nationalisation of the waterways network, pleasure-boaters raised funds and worked hard to restore small stretches. Today, there are around 35,000 boats plying the canals, and 13 million of us visit the towpaths each year.
What difference will being a charity make?
Primarily, the Canal & River Trust will now be able to fundraise. It has an impressive £460m property portfolio, which will help finance maintenance, and will also waterway revival. Much of the 1,600-strong staffing remains the same but 11 regional England & Wales ‘waterways partnerships’ will be created.
How can we get involved?
There are many ways, including assisting with office work, volunteering as a lock-keeper and taking part in conservation projects, which, this autumn, include planting community orchards and reinstating hedgerows to encourage wildlife and help prevent soil erosion along canals and riverbanks.
For more information, visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/appeals.
Country Living's verdict
This charity really deserves our support. Local communities saved the waterways from oblivion, and the Canal & River Trust is a tribute to that fact. by volunteering in the trust’s 50 appeal projects across england and Wales, we could gain new skills and have fun at the same time.
