Thanks to donations from hundreds of people to the Canal & River Trust’s appeal to support small waterway-based charities, the Trust has been able to award £31,500 in grants shared across 43 local charities based on inland waterways in England and Wales.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, these charities, which provide vital support to some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country, have seen their income drastically reduce, putting the services that they offer at risk.
Sue Wilkinson, Canal & River Trust trustee and chair of the grants panel, said: “These very local charities do invaluable work – providing people with opportunities in life where, and when, it is needed the most – from helping tackle loneliness and dementia, to supporting disadvantaged children and young people in many different communities across the country.
“We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed to the Waterways Charity Appeal. It is thanks to you that we have been able to give some support to a number of small charities at this very difficult time. The Trust is pleased to be able to match the personal contributions made.”
The charities benefiting from a Waterways Charity Appeal, each receiving a grant of £500 or £1,500, are:
- Angel Community Canal Boat Trust | London
- Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust | Newport Pagnell
- Birmingham and Northamptonshire Guide Narrowboat | Birmingham
- Bury Water Meadows Group | Bury
- Canal Connections CIC | Leeds
- CanalAbility | Harlow
- Chelmer Canal Trust | Chelmsford
- Cotswold Boatmobility | Stonehouse
- Crusader Community Boating | Northampton
- Dartford Cambira Sea Scout Group | Dartford
- Dockland Scout Project | London
- East Manchester Community Boat Project | Manchester
- Heulwen Trust | Welshpool
- Hillingdon Narrowboats Association | Uxbridge
- Humber Aid CIO | Hull
- Islington Boat Club | London
- Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society | Skipton
- London Narrow Boat Project | Braunston
- Merseyside Water Rescue | Liverpool
- Northumberland Rivers Trust | Birkenhead
- Overwater Wheelyboat Services | Crewe
- Pocklington Canal Amenity Society | Pocklington
- Shropshire Union Flyboat Restoration Society | Altrincham
- Somali Community Parents Association | Leicester
- Stourbridge Navigation Trust |Stourbridge
- Sunbury and Walton Unit 327 of the Sea Cadet Corps | Shepperton
- Swansea Canal Society | Swansea
- Tameside Canal Boat Trust | Manchester
- Thames and Kennet Narrowboat Trust | Mortimer, Berkshire
- The Baldwin Trust | Shepshed, Leicestershire
- The Beatrice Charity | Leek
- The Ethel Trust | Sheffield
- The Hargreaves Narrowboat Trust | Nuneaton
- The Pirate Castle | London
- The Straford upon Avon Narrowboat Trust | Kenilworth
- The Wheelyboat Trust | Petworth, W.Sussex
- Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust | Walsall
- Wakefield District Scouts | Wakefield
- Water Adventure Centre | Greater Manchester
- Waterways Experiences | Hemel Hempstead
- Wildside Activity Centre | Wolverhampton
- Wirral Community Narrowboat Trust | Newcastle
- Worcester Birmingham & Droitwich Canal Society | Droitwich
The appeal was supported by hundreds of donors with the Canal & River Trust match funding public donations – including Trust chief executive, Richard Parry, who donated 20% of his salary for the first three months of the year.
