Communications Update

24th June 2016

News Round up

Fed up with EU Referendum news? Grab a coffee and read waterway news here

·        Former Canal Laureate, Jo Bell, appeared on Radio 4 last weekend (19/06/16) talking about her narrowboat home for past 13 years. Also, Jo’s poem Lifted, inspired by the Trent & Mersey Canal was featured by Caught by the River (18/06/16)

·        Trust enterprise manager James Clifton and Marianne McNamara were interviewed by BBC Radio Northampton (20/06/16 – forward 1hr14mins) about the Mikron Theatre’s new production Canary Girls in Stoke Bruerne

·        The Times' business section (23/06/16) ran a feature on a couple of entrepreneurs who have set up a canal boat fit-out company

·        Private Eye (24/6/16) revisits the National Bargee Travellers Association's criticism of the Trust's enforcement of continuous cruising rules

·        David Viner, Trust heritage advisor, spoke to BBC Points West and BBC Gloucestershire about our work to preserve the amazing Purton Hulks graveyard

·        BBC Radio Leicester interviewed ecologist Sam Bucknall about our appeal to spot herons on the waterways as part of this year’s Great Nature Watch

·        BBC Radio Merseyside had a great chat with North West Waterway partnership chair Bob Pointing about the popularity of the 200-year old Leeds & Liverpool Canal

·        The Daily Mirror takes a trip through Standedge Tunnel during a visit to the Pennines (19/06/16)

·        Jon Stopp, volunteer co-ordinator on the Manchester & Pennine Waterway, gave a great interview to BBC Radio Manchester about the importance of local canals. It was part of a show broadcast live from Manchester Piccadilly train station

·        Principal engineer Tony Sims was interviewed by BBC Look East (23/06/16) about our inspection of the Iron Trunk Aqueduct along the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes. The inspection was a little different to the norm as we used a drone

camera to get up close to the aqueduct and with the images we take, we’ll build a 3D computerised model of the structure

·        And finally…with Wimbledon imminent, Britain’s number one Jo Konta and former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova dodged the storms in Birmingham to play a quick game on the city’s canal network. Watch the video on the Birmingham Mail’s website (16/06/16) to hear praise for the city’s waterways

 

In social media:

·        We tweeted about the Caught by the River Thames Festival, this tweet was seen by over 5,400 people and 56 people clicked the image to see the full line up

·        The story about ‘Canal volunteers laying foundations in Grantham’ did well on Twitter this week, after its success on Facebook last week. The post reached over 4,000 people and was retweeted 30 times

·        We told our audience about Paul Stone’s canal boat garden at Gardener’s World Live, this reached nearly 5,000 people and was retweeted 12 times, including a retweet from the official Gardeners World Live account who have over 30k followers

 

And coming up next week:

·        We’ll be promoting Dance on Water– part of the Trust’s Arts on the Waterways programme – as a team of dance students prepare to set off on a canal journey

·        There’s a Share the Space event at Pontymoile on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

·        Six months on from the Boxing Day floods, we’ll be updating media on progress to affected areas, with particular focus on the work to rebuild Elland Bridge and nearby Crowther Bridge

·        We’ll be issuing a press release about a clean-up event on the Shropshire Union Canal in Chester, where local cubs and beavers worked with volunteers to clear an access ramp

·        Tune in to ITV Anglia to see more on our inspection of the Iron Trunk Aqueduct

·        We’ll be calling for volunteers to join us on our Towpath Taskforce events in Blackburn and Preston

·        London Live TV is set to broadcast an interview with environment manager Richard Bennett about our heron sighting appeal

What’s on this weekend…?

Leeds Waterfront Festival Saturday and Sunday, Leeds Dock and various locations on the Leeds waterfront on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. A range of activities and entertainment celebrating spaces and communities along the waterfront, including: boats, music, dance and performance, arts and crafts, market, British Street Food Annual Awards and Dragon Boat Races on Saturday. www.leedsdock.com

Historic Narrowboat Rally and Festival Saturday and Sunday at Braunston Marina near Daventry NN11 7JH. Rally of more than 80 surviving Braunston and Grand Union Canal boats with daily parades, music on Saturday evening and Luke Kennard, our canal laureate, will be performing. The Trust’s welcome station at Braunston will be open and we will have a marquee on the towpath to raise visitor awareness of the Trust’s work, with some of our volunteers sharing their experiences too. A Trust enforcement officer will also be available to answer licence questions or discuss issues with customers. www.braunstonmarina.co.uk

Bath Festival of Nature Saturday 11am – 6pm. At Royal Victoria Park on the River Avon BA1 2NQ. Celebration of the natural world and the region’s waterscapes with activities for nature lovers of all ages: expert-led photography and wildlife walks, talks, workshops, art and entertainment. www.festivalofnature.org.uk

Banbury ‘give it a go’ canoe and kayak day, Sunday. Spiceball Park, Banbury next to the Oxford Canal OX16 3WQ 10am to 4pm, it’s free and equipment is provided, no need to pre-book you can just turn up. The event is being organised by the Trust in partnership with Sport England, the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, and Cherwell Canoe Club, in an effort to encourage more people to get involved with sport along the waterways.

Other events coming up…

Stratford-upon-Avon River Festival

For two whole days every summer the riverside comes alive and 2016’s event will feature more free events and activities than ever before, whilst also welcoming back a host of old favourites by popular demand.

2nd July 2016 to 3rd July 2016Address

Stratford-upon-Avon,

Warwickshire,CV37 7LS

Come along to the 8th Stratford River Festival. This two-day free celebration invites you and your family and friends to join last year's 60,000 revelers to enjoy music, food, drink, 100's of stalls and crafts and more.

More information to come, for more info on last year's event visit: http://www.stratforward.co.uk/events/stratford-river-festival/whats-on

40th anniversary celebrations and opening of Window on the World

2016 marks the 40th anniversary of the opening of the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port and to commemorate this important milestone for the UK’s inland waterways, the museum is hosting a weekend of celebratory activities.

2nd July 2016 to 3rd July 2016

10:00am - 5:00pm

National Waterways Museum

South Pier RoadEllesmere PortCheshireCH65 4FW

The anniversary weekend will be packed full of things to see and do including the opening of its new ‘Window on the World’ experience, performances from the Museum’s artist in residence and the one-off chance to venture into the canal lock at the museum which will be specially drained for the replacement of two hand crafted oak lock gates.

This is a very exciting time for the volunteers and staff at the museum as we celebrate our 40th anniversary as well as opening the ‘Window on the World’

project.  We will be inviting visitors to step back in time, meet the characters who worked on the slipway, and explore how the historic winch would have raised boats from the Manchester Ship Canal.

Window on the World has been made possible thanks to generous grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Wolfson Foundation and AIM Biffa.  It will showcase why Ellesmere Port was a ‘window on the world’ with the opening of the Port’s historic slipway, which was used for boat building and restoration between the 1840s and the 1920s. The Leeds and Liverpool short boat George is being rebuilt, and a grant of over £50,000 from the Wolfson Foundation has funded the preservation of the Mersey flat Mossdale.

Returning for the anniversary weekend will be Francesca Millican-Slater with her sell out performance of ‘Walking the Shroppie’, devised during Francesca’s ten month period as Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the NWM.  There will also be the opportunity to take a look into the work the Canal & River Trust does to keep the canals and rivers open as work is carried out to replace the locks gates on the Shropshire Union Canal within the grounds of the museum.

Over & Under Adventure

Walk in the footsteps of the original tunnel controller.

3rd July 2016

10:00am - 3:30pm

Standedge Tunnel & Visitor Centre

Waters RoadMarsdenHuddersfieldHD7 6NQ

Run in partnership with Marsden Moor National Trust, our Over & Under Adventures prove extremely popular year on year.

Take a boat trip all the way through Britain's longest, highest and deepest canal tunnel as our guide tells you the tales and tribulations of the navvies who built it.

Once you have experience the depths lying beneath Marsden Moor, take a guided walk back to the Visitor Centre over the top on the old packhorse route, walking in the footsteps of the original tunnel controller.

Start time: 10am

Booking essential - call 01484 844298

Heritage Heroes

We're working with Help for Heroes on a two year programme to offer wounded servicemen and women, and veterans the opportunity to gain new skills and qualifications to help them make the most of life outside the Armed Forces.

Located on four different canals and thanks to £500k funding from the players of the Peoples Post Code Lottery under their Dream Fund programme, they will work alongside existing volunteers who are experts on heritage repairs and canal restorations.

What's involved?

Ex-service personnel will be working with the Cotswold Canal Trust who are restoring Ryeford Causeway on the outskirts of Stroud in Gloucestershire. The Trust have also been painstakingly restoring six of the 36 miles than joins the River Severn, Thames and Severn Canal with major infrastructure including a new road layout, new locks, bridges and excavation of the original canal channel.

With the help of volunteers, the last remaining 30 miles will be restored.

The Wilts & Berkshire Canal Trust in Wiltshire will also benefit from funding from the players of the Peoples Post Code Lottery, their aim is to restore some locks at Pewsham near Chippenham with 15 heritage heroes and local volunteers.

There are two more projects on the Kennet & Avon Canal and the Pocklington Canal in Yorkshire, and you can be a part of this new initiative by either visiting:

www.cotswoldcanals.com

www.helpforheroes.org.uk/how-we-help/career-recovery/

or directly contacting sarah.brice@canalrivertrust.org.uk for more information.

Selima ‘Champions’

Our Selima Champions are here to support you over the ‘phone or by email and will happily answer any questions you may have about the Selima online expenses system.  The Champions can provide support by; talking you through setting up your profile, guidance on entering your first claim and attaching a receipt, saving favourites and duplicating regular journeys or troubleshooting any teething problems you may be experiencing. Please get in touch with them directly using the emails below, or if you’re not sure which Champion to contact get in touch with us at volunteer.expenses@canalrivertrust.org.uk and we’ll find the most appropriate person to support you.

Gordon Robbins - Gordon is a Volunteer Lock Keeper and Boat Mover, based at Hatton but travelling across the Midlands and into the South East. 

gordon.robbins@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Chris Littler - Chris is a Volunteer Lock Keeper at Marple, he can travel across our Manchester & Pennine and North West waterway regions.

chris.littler@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Mike Groves - Mike is a Volunteer Lock Keeper at Fradley and can travel across the Central Shires waterway and over the boundary into the South East.

mike.groves@canalrivertrust.org.uk

John Inman - John is a member of the Kennet & Avon partnership and Volunteer Lock Keeper at Bradford on Avon and undertakes training and qualification for the volunteer operation of vessels on both the Kennet and Avon and Bridgwater and Taunton Canals.

john.inman@canalrivertrust.org.uk

The Great Nature Watch

Take a trip to your local canal, river, reservoir or lake and record what you see there. It’s a fun activity to do with the family and will help us to monitor and protect the wide variety of precious wildlife that the waterways are home to.

This year we're calling on everyone to ‘Stop, Look and Listen’ to what’s happening around them following our own survey results, which show surprising gaps in people’s nature knowledge.

We've been working with the renowned Wildlife Sound Recording Society to create a series of nature noises and challenge people to identify them as part of our Wildlife Ear and Eye Q test. Surveying toddlers to OAPs, the results showed that 25% of parents and 30% of children could not identify the sound a duck makes. 

We also found that 23% of parents and nearly a third of children thought that ducks have yellow feathers, perhaps the result of children’s TV programmes such as Peppa Pig.

Findings also show that 76% of parents believe that they are less knowledgeable about nature than the previous generation with 68% of parents also believing that their children are less knowledgeable about nature than they were at their age.

When put to the test the gap in wildlife knowledge between parents and their children is actually surprisingly close, however the gap between grandparents and their adult children and grandchildren is much bigger.

Dr Mark Robinson, national ecologist for the Canal & River Trust, says: “It’s a shame to see that people’s knowledge of nature is declining, but this can easily be reversed.

For more information, take part in a wildlife quiz and to download the Great Nature Watch app click here