As of the 2 July 2012 the Canal & River Trust formally took over the 2,000 miles of canals and navigable rivers from the British Waterways Board.
John Dodwell, a trustee of the new Canal & River Trust spoke at the Alliance’s head office earlier this week to explain what the new Trust’s plans were. He said:
“Already £4m has been allocated to improve areas around the country where water can be scarce – such as the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the canals around Braunston.
“More dredging is being planned, the restoration of hand crafted lock gates is on-going and 22 new apprentices have been taken on to keep heritage skills on the waterways alive”.
Mr Dodwell, then went on to discuss how the Trust presented new opportunities to the Alliance’s members:
“There are so many ways to get involved in informing how the waterways in England and Wales are run. You can help by joining in its governance, volunteering, providing financial support through the Friends’ scheme and much more.
"By working together we can create an environment where all activities can flourish on the waterways”.
To find out how you can get involved with the Canal & River Trust, visit their website .
Visit the Water Recreation Division membership page to find out which organisations are involved.
