Marie Bower, Community and Vocational Service (CVS) Support Worker, with Autism Together reports on the narrow boat team’s latest certificate from the Canal and River Trust for their volunteering work.
“Over three years ago the Narrow Boat team from the Health and Well-being Department adopted a 3 mile section of the Shropshire Union Canal by the Shady Oak. We have since taken responsibility for general maintenance and conservation work here and the stretch has been expanded to 5 miles! Service users accessing the boat have the opportunity to volunteer on various Waterway Adoption projects alongside the other narrow boat activities we provide. Such projects include litter picking, trimming the boarders around the ring ties and repainting these and cutting back overgrowth onto the tow path. Individuals are able to earn a Voluntary Recognition Certificate from the Canal and River Trust.
Currently, our main job is to restore the waterway signposts as we travel along from Christleton towards Beeston on the narrow boat. The service users have been working hard cutting back the overgrowth hiding these posts, sanding them and then repainting!
On the 9th September we were invited to a presentation by the Canal and River Trust, who rely on volunteers to look after these waterways. We were presented with a Community Waterway Adoption certificate recognising our continued involvement in the Waterway Adoption Scheme and hard work in looking after this part of the Shropshire Union Canal.”
