National waterways charity Canal & River Trust, together with Marsh Charitable Trust, has announced those who have been recognised in its annual volunteer awards.
Awards have been given to teams and individuals across the Canal & River Trust’s network of waterways and reflect the fantastic range of volunteering that takes place. This year, as the Canal & River Trust faces the challenge of a significant cut in its future government funding, the importance of volunteering has never been clearer.
Christine Mellor, head of volunteering at Canal & River Trust, said: “Volunteers are an integral part of our charity, working with us, across the Trust, and making a valuable impact in caring for our 250-year-old canal network.
“In the face of some daunting challenges, we could not maintain our waterways without the passion, commitment, skills and talent of our volunteers who support us in so many ways. It demonstrates how much we can achieve when we work together – and shows the power of canals to inspire and connect people.
“Every day we see the impact that our volunteers make. They lead and advise on how the Trust works and free-up colleagues to enable us to do more. Volunteers get stuck into practical activities that improve our waterways and surrounding green spaces for people and wildlife; they talk to and support customers through our locks and lead walks along our towpaths.
“These awards recognise just some of the people who have made such a significant contribution in keeping our waterways alive. Our canals need this support more than ever, and I’d encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering to come and join a welcome event. We have so much to offer, that is flexible, fun, and can develop your interest, skills and knowledge. Come and make new friends and make a difference to your local community. Join us and #VolunteerByWater. We have something for everyone.”
Yorkshire & North East
Individual Award: Stuart Crowther. Based at Standedge Tunnel, Stuart shows the Trust’s values in everything he does. Part of the grounds maintenance team and a guide for boat trips into the tunnel, he is caring and looks after colleagues and visitors to make sure everything is in place.
Team Award: The Garden Party Team. The Garden Party, evolved out of a shared interest in horticulture and biodiversity with several Towpath Task Force groups who were keen to develop more planting schemes, increase local biodiversity and come together to skill share.
North West
Individual Award: Jim McKeown from the National Waterways Museum Collections team. His expertise and experience with the boat collections are second to none: a “walking encyclopaedia” who always makes time for both colleagues and visitors to the museum.
Team Award: The River Weaver Lock Keepers. A specialised role due to the size of the locks; their support has freed-up the maintenance team to focus on other essential tasks.
Wales & South West
Individual Award: David Palfrey. David has been instrumental in setting up hugely successful Let’s Walk and Let’s Paddle events on his own initiative.
Team Award: Trevor Basin Visitor Centre Team. The team manages the front desk, welcoming visitors, overseeing the shop and heritage centre, and sharing their unparalleled knowledge of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (pictured) and World Heritage Site.
West Midlands
Individual Award: Phil Garner. Phil has volunteered at Hatton on the Grand Union Canal for eight years and given over 7,000 hours, sometimes volunteering four days a week. He helps to plan and manage task days and helps with all admin duties.
Team Award: Harecastle Tunnel Volunteer Team. This team manages the safe passage of boaters through Harecastle Tunnel. Open seven days a week, this shows a huge commitment and an impressive efficiency saving for the Trust.
East Midlands
Individual Award: Rob Hetherington. Rob cares deeply about Leicester and its communities, with knowledge, friendliness and willingness to go the extra mile. Giving over 2,000 hours since 2017, Rob is a volunteer lock keeper on the River Soar, and also collects many bags of litter, supports community events, and leads walks for the Trust, including his famous History and Heritage Walk.
Team Award: Erewash Canal Towpath Taskforce Team. The team has been meeting for several years, and is involved in many tasks, from painting to vegetation management, towpath resurfacing and more. The standout achievement this year is the offside vegetation management from Trent Lock to Gallows Inn: an impressive 6½ miles.
London & South East
Individual Award: Lorraine Leckenby. Lorraine took community spirit to the max with her dedication to improving conditions on the Grand Union Canal by engaging with all canal users, working to positively change problem areas without leaving people behind, and being a friendly, enthusiastic and now widely recognised face on the towpath.
Team Award: The Griffin Workboat Team. The team has demonstrated what’s possible with the power of volunteers, opening up more opportunities for reviving craft and giving the Trust even more resources to protect our waterways.
Award ceremonies took place in each of the Canal & River Trust’s six regions during September.
Brian Marsh OBE, chair at the Marsh Charitable Trust, said: “We are pleased to be able to work with the Canal & River Trust once again to deliver these Awards, recognising those who give their time to volunteer on our nation’s waterways, enhancing their heritage and supporting the wellbeing of those that use them. We would like to congratulate the individuals and volunteer teams who have been recognised through this year’s Awards, from all across the UK, and we look forward to continuing to highlight these invaluable contributions in years to come.”
For more information about the work of the Canal & River Trust including how you can volunteer or donate visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
