Waterway Charities Appeal

[Ray T]

PRESS RELEASE

 

12 May 2020  

 

Waterway Charities Appeal – Canal & River Trust to match donations

 

Following the launch of the Waterway Charities Appeal on 5 May 2020, the Canal & River Trust is today, 12 May 2020, announcing that it will match donations received by the appeal – up to a total of £50,000.

 

The Waterway Charities Appeal, which is open for donations via the JustGiving website, and has now received just over 150 donations totalling over £3,700, will provide support for many small community-based charities at a time when, without help, the coronavirus pandemic could have a devastating impact on them.

 

The Trust has also announced that its Trustee, Sue Wilkinson, volunteer chair of Trust’s annual Living Waterways Awards, will lead a small panel comprising other Living Waterways Award independent judges with experience of the work that community-based waterway charities do, to allocate small grants from the fundraising appeal.  The Trust hopes to commence this work from the end of May.

 

Having announced that he will donate 20% of his salary for the first three months of the year to the appeal, Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact on the dozens of amazing small charities that operate across our network – vastly reducing their activity and funding.  They share our belief in the profound impact that waterways have on so many peoples’ lives, and they need our collective support at this unprecedented time.

 

“I would like to thank all those who have donated so far for their generosity and encourage all those who are able to contribute at this difficult time to do so.  The Trust is pleased to announce that we will match public donations, up to a total of £50k, so that together we can help ensure that these community-based waterways charities are able to continue their amazing work on the other side of the pandemic.”

 

Sue Wilkinson, chair of the Trust’s Living Waterways Awards, comments: “I’m delighted to be asked to chair the panel distributing this money, and I’d like to thank some of my fellow Living Waterways Awards judges for stepping forward to join me in deciding how best to allocate the funds raised through the appeal.  Through the Living Waterways Awards, I have had the pleasure of visiting and seeing first-hand the wonderful impact that many waterways charities have within their local community.  The threat to their survival at this time is very real, so knowing that together the wider waterways movement can come together to help, is heartening.”

 

To donate, visit https://justgiving.com/campaign/waterwaycharitiesappeal.  100% of your donation will be distributed by the Canal & River Trust in small grants to local waterway-based community charities to ensure they can continue to operate in the months and years ahead.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact:

Jonathan Ludford, national communications manager

m 07747 897783 e jonathan.ludford@canalrivertrust.org.uk