Lucy Wood reports…
THE Accessible Waterways Association (AWA) has been reflecting on 2024, its first full year as an official association. Its founders, Tim and Tracey Clarke, said: “It has been a very busy year indeed, and included participation in the Boatlife exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC in February, the Crick Boat Show in May, the Braunston Historic Boat Show in June, the Salter Baxter Impact Day in September and our own Accessible Waterways Day London in December.
“We also appeared on the TV programme Narrow Escapes, which was broadcast on Channel 4 in April and May, joined the Environment Agency in Denver, Norfolk, to discuss accessibility there, and spent a day with Adam Lind and Waterlife at Sawley Marina, Derbyshire, in August. We are also pleased to have linked up with University College London (UCL) to drive our cause.”
The AWA has also been pivotal in installing the first working prototype of an accessible mooring bollard in Birmingham in December – while also filming for the second series of Narrow Escapes. As reported previously in Towpath Talk, these bollards are larger and brighter and are designed for ease of use from a sitting position.
And the group’s campaigning action came to prominence in September when it highlighted accessibility concerns in relation to a planning application for a bridge over the Erewash Canal, in Long Eaton. They urged planning authorities across the board and bodies like the AWA to work together from the moment plans are being designed to ensure accessibility needs – not just for people with disabilities, but also for older people and families with pushchairs – are automatically included.
“Alongside all these notable events are our regular commitments,” Tim and Tracey continued. “These include bi-monthly Disabled Boaters’ Meetings, Canal & River Trust council meetings and various sub-committees, where we stand to represent the interests of people who find the canal environment less accessible than ideal.
“We plan to extend the reach of the Disabled Boaters’ Meetings (currently hosted and run by CRT) by setting up our own regular sessions to encompass not only boaters, but also others who want to enjoy the canals and rivers in every way possible (walkers/wheelers, kayakers, gongoozlers…) but who find the environment less accessible than others. We also want to expand them to incorporate waterways managed by other bodies.
“The CRT looks after the biggest proportion of canals and navigable rivers, but there are others too, including Environment Agency rivers, Norfolk Broads, Scottish Waterways, and many more cared for by smaller, more local organisations.
“We are still campaigning for a reconsideration of the passed plan for the canal access at the new bridge across the Erewash Canal.
“Of course, while all this is going on, we are busy trying to keep our members and wider audiences up to date with our happenings via our website, email updates, blogs and publicity.
“The Salter Baxter Impact Day came about as part of the package from our initial funding from UnLtd. A very high-powered but exciting time, where we met a team of consultants sharing their marketing expertise.
“We are forging a working relationship with UCL. We are grateful for and proud of our association with this team who are willing to lend us their minds, skills and services to help us build AWA.
“The ever-increasing awareness of the need for AWA is overwhelming. To expand our capabilities, services, work, support and so on, we need more members, volunteers and skills. The more we talk with people, the more we become aware of the need for us to do more.
“Our top priority for 2025 is to recruit more volunteers with specific skills and expertise in relevant fields, including IT, especially social media, fundraising (for expansion), and publicity and marketing to help us spread the message.
“If you think you could spare some time and skills to help, please get in touch – we would love to hear from you. Our list is by no means definitive; if you can offer something else that you feel would be valuable, then please don’t be shy.”
For more information about the Accessible Waterways Association and to get in touch, visit www.awa-uk.org.uk
