K&A Trust v Narrowboatworld

[KenK]

I’ve often seen criticism about Narrowboatworld on the forum some justified some not, but one example today left me seething. If you haven’t looked at the site go and read the comment on the K&A Trust.

 

I’m an active member of the trust and I know how hard all the members and volunteers work to try to help maintain the canal. At the end of last year David Inight our temporary chairman published the annual report, it wasn’t good, we had a very difficult year. We were not alone, all charities were having the same problems, money had dried up, new members were difficult to find, especially people who were young enough to take an active part in the work.

 

Despite the problems we worked hard, found a replacement chairman, two members acted as temporary chairmen until this had been resolved. Outsourced the loss making shops, they are now in profit. Reduced the paid staff and thanks to the new editorial team on the magazine it is now cost neutral. In addition we run four trip boats, have as far as we know the oldest steam engine in the world still doing its original job, plus another not quite so old, which managed to keep the canal open when the BW electric pump failed. Have, despite it being nearly 200 years old, a 21st century eco friendly pump at Claverton, it uses the power of the Avon to raise water up to the canal. We recently refurbished an ex BW maintenance boat, it's now in use one day a week, at the moment cutting back vegetation, if we had more crew it could be used more often.

We are self certified by BW, which allows us to train people to operate the boats, pumping stations etc. We have several active branches from Bristol to Reading all doing their part to keep the canal open, the canal which wouldn’t exist today without the K&A Association which became the Trust.

 

Narrowboatworld is very good at the negative aspects of the waterways system, just like our media, it’s just a pity that instead of gloating about the problems of others, they don’t actually contribute something to the waterways.

 

Rant over

 

Ken

[paddy r]

Don't let the ****eds grind you down

[the grinch]

Reduced the paid staff

why is the trust paying staff?

 

 

Narrowboatworld is very good at the negative aspects of the waterways system, just like our media, it’s just a pity that instead of gloating about the problems of others, they don’t actually contribute something to the waterways.

 

 

its what they do best!! LOL

[carlt]

NBW delights at sneering at the failings of anyone and everyone...Don't take it personally.

 

It is ironic that this is its chief failing.

[RLWP]

Much against my better judgement I went to the Narrowboatworld website to check out what you were talking about. It reminded me why I don't go there

 

Richard

[sueb]

why is the trust paying staff?

 

 

 

 

its what they do best!! LOL

I suspect the Trust is paying staff for the same reasons as IWA and other organisations. If you want people to do a regular job regularly you may have to pay. BW will discover this.

Sue

[PiRSqwared]

The NBW people are so negative they could get jobs as scriptwriters for Eastenders!

[pete.i]

Hi all

 

I have to say this and I am not getting at anyone in particular especially those that have posted in this thread. In my opinion if we don't all start working together instead of each canal interested party griping and sniping at each other we are going to lose the waterways. I'm sure there are builders out there, even in this cash strapped era, just waiting to get their hands on some prime building land probably very cheaply.

 

Everybody boaters, walkers, canal side businesses, bikers, anglers, BW, however they manifest themselves, etc. will have to pull together. Yes I know thats a massive long shot but I cannot see any other way. Somebody out there has to get all the interested factions together and start working to keep our waterways.

 

That is my opinion and at the moment I cannot see that happening and that frightens me to be honest and I only own a boat for leisure it's not my home.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[sueb]

Hi all

 

I have to say this and I am not getting at anyone in particular especially those that have posted in this thread. In my opinion if we don't all start working together instead of each canal interested party griping and sniping at each other we are going to lose the waterways. I'm sure there are builders out there, even in this cash strapped era, just waiting to get their hands on some prime building land probably very cheaply.

 

Everybody boaters, walkers, canal side businesses, bikers, anglers, BW, however they manifest themselves, etc. will have to pull together. Yes I know thats a massive long shot but I cannot see any other way. Somebody out there has to get all the interested factions together and start working to keep our waterways.

 

That is my opinion and at the moment I cannot see that happening and that frightens me to be honest and I only own a boat for leisure it's not my home.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

I quite agree. Boaters won't join an organisation which works solely for boaters. All sorts of excuses are given but it boils down to - can't be bothered.

Sue

[Josher]

Somebody out there has to get all the interested factions together and start working to keep our waterways.

 

British Waterways Trust?

[pete.i]

British Waterways Trust?

 

LOL you think? That would be good but I cannot see that happeneing. But you never know.

 

I'm new to boating and I have joined the IWA. I have heard good and bad things about the organisation but it has always been my position that if I need to do anything ( and don't get me wrong I have absolutely no idea what I can do) I have to be on the inside rather than the outside and the IWA seemed one way to do that.

 

Pete

Edited January 31, 2011 by pete.i

[magpie patrick]

Ken, I'm the Chairman of the Somerset Coal canal Society, and without reading your post I can answer, the K and A trust hands down.

 

Those who do over those who observe every time...

[carlt]

All sorts of excuses are given but it boils down to - can't be bothered.

Sue

In your opinion.

 

The fact is there is no organisation that is dedicated to the the interests of the Waterways (not just boaters) just little clubs masquerading as national organisations.

[Guest]

NBW = pointless

[Naughty Cal]

NBW = pointless

 

NBW = Narrow Brained W*nkers

[mikevye]

Ignoring the K&A v NBW contest I am grateful to NBW for bringing the excessess of BW to the attention of third parties who may not necessarily be aware and magnitude of the problems that exist. The outright squandering of funding that should have gone to maintenance but end up as written off debt in a Gloucester shopping precinct. The excessive salaries and bonuses paid when targets aren't achieved and the withholding of information ignoring legislation under the freedom of information act. I am amazed that these and other topics don't feature more on our forum but hey ho all for the quiet life eh? or better still making up alternative meanings of NBW which is way below the normal standards set by our Filis!

[Neil TNC]

I gave up with NBW when Mike Stevens died.

[David Schweizer]

Ignoring the K&A v NBW contest I am grateful to NBW for bringing the excessess of BW to the attention of third parties who may not necessarily be aware and magnitude of the problems that exist. The outright squandering of funding that should have gone to maintenance but end up as written off debt in a Gloucester shopping precinct. The excessive salaries and bonuses paid when targets aren't achieved and the withholding of information ignoring legislation under the freedom of information act. I am amazed that these and other topics don't feature more on our forum but hey ho all for the quiet life eh? or better still making up alternative meanings of NBW which is way below the normal standards set by our Filis!

You may well be correct Mike, but given the gross inaccuracies and badly researched journalism that regularly appears on NBW, how can you be certain that their attacks on BW are based upon accurate information, or biased opinion?

 

If you are aware of the truth in such matters, it would be helpful if you could post the details on this forum for debate.

[Strads]

When I visit "big boating events" (national etc,) I visit most ( I cant promise that I saw all) to see their displays and read up on progress and understand what they are trying to achieve.

clearly some are more advanced and some have greater challenges to surmount.

 

I dont know (stands by to recieve updates) on whether the IWA, WRG coordinate these "trusts/groups" assists them understanding what resources can be bought to assist, eg Lottery heritage funds, council grants etc,

 

But my "view" is that they do not learn fully from each's experiences.

 

But I'm also not sure that they "think" out what image they are looking to portray.

 

Are they at the nationals because most societys "do it", but do they also attend other events that are non boating orientated to attract a wider audience.?

 

The image at the vents varies - from "cheap" jumble sale to a progress report, to a lost the plot.

 

I appreciate that all the good people are volunteers but thinking their approach through may improves the public take and also improve the press reporting,

 

In answer to the press - they are also "human" (discuss) and maybe report what they see/feel, I dont wish any group a poor press/negative progress, but when I visit I get the impresion that some havnt thought through how they look, and maybe that also gets picked up by the press,

 

 

i would agree that the press dont seem to run positive campaigns, such as propose polls to see what schemes would get the most "real boating" use.

 

IE should there be more focuss on getting restoration of schemes that directly link to the running system rather than "remote/disconnected" schemes that are going to take many years.

 

Also do we want restoration or new builds?

 

Which schemes will gain additional funding by bringing in tangible benefits to an area/town through additional visitor spending, create infrastructure work etc.

 

and gain the best "press" to allow less attractive schemes to be them pulled through once they see the positives..

 

Thats my Tuesday morning soap box...out the way!

[Chris Pink]

You may well be correct Mike, but given the gross inaccuracies and badly researched journalism that regularly appears on NBW, how can you be certain that their attacks on BW are based upon accurate information, or biased opinion?

 

If you are aware of the truth in such matters, it would be helpful if you could post the details on this forum for debate.

 

Because most of the BW investigative articles are researched and written by Allan Richards and, as he has walked the same paths as me and others form time to time, I know him to be a meticulous and honest journalist and almost all his stuff is backed up by FOI requests and published BW material.

 

Though I don't know whether they've had a falling out, he's not listed as a columnist any more. Allan?

 

As for the rest of NBW, a bit tabloid, always entertaining, mostly accurate, usually prepared to change material if not.

 

Vilified on here, maybe, but then who isn't?

Edited February 1, 2011 by Chris Pink

[Naughty Cal]

Ignoring the K&A v NBW contest I am grateful to NBW for bringing the excessess of BW to the attention of third parties who may not necessarily be aware and magnitude of the problems that exist. The outright squandering of funding that should have gone to maintenance but end up as written off debt in a Gloucester shopping precinct. The excessive salaries and bonuses paid when targets aren't achieved and the withholding of information ignoring legislation under the freedom of information act. I am amazed that these and other topics don't feature more on our forum but hey ho all for the quiet life eh? or better still making up alternative meanings of NBW which is way below the normal standards set by our Filis!

 

Having been on the recieving end of one of their highly inaccurate attempts at journalism and then have them refuse to put the article right depsite giving them the evidence to the contrary, they were IMO lucky that all i did was make up a new name for them.

 

I have no time for NBW and their fairy tales.

[Chris Pink]

I thought I'd add my take on the K and A Trust, for what it's worth;

 

The Kennet and Avon Association - top geezers, without whom there certainly would not be a canal there, no praise is high enough. When they became the Trust, some of them hung around, a bit bored, a bit old. And gradually the more curmudgeonly factions took over, closing the doors to young blood.

 

David, in particular, will remember Brian off Peggy-Sue at the wharf, a very helpful and approachable face of the Trust as restorers and operators of the Canal. Bradford was never the same after he was ousted.

 

A failed and allegedly corrupt 'Enterprise' spin-off lost them a lot of support.

 

Now, the local associations, especially on the Rivers Avon and Kennet (yo respect the Tyle Mill bunch), keep their heads down, do a fine job, mobilise volunteers, maintain and improve, likewise the Crofton and Claverton gangs.

 

The overall management though is in chaos, as correctly reported by NBW - though I can see why Ken rankles at their rather gleeful tone. The gold of taking over management of the canal as proposed by head-in-the-clouds idiots at BW has gone to some power seeking heads. The turnover of chairmen is probably not unrelated to this, Rees wouldn't have known a canal if he'd fallen into one. I don't know the others but I would imagine they come in, look at the low membership, the lack of money and the fact that you wouldn't trust Simon 'Satan' Salem with the price of a pint of milk, then run a mile.

 

The move of The Butty from paper to online, while maybe an economic success, was so badly mismanaged as to alienate a lot of people who have put in a lot of time and hard work over the years, removed a very visible flag of the Trust, a magazine that got about far wider than an inward looking online newspaper, simply by being on the tables in the cafés for instance.

 

There's also the self-serving geezer from Vodafone.... can't remember his name, but he does the Trust no favours.

 

The name 'Trust' is a clue peeps.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Chris Pink

[mayalld]

I quite agree. Boaters won't join an organisation which works solely for boaters. All sorts of excuses are given but it boils down to - can't be bothered.

Sue

 

Very possibly.

 

On the other side, there is the fact that having joined, and discovered that it actually pushes a narrow agenda of the inner circle, whilst claiming the support of the total membership, some people simply CBA to cancel the standing order.

[Albion]

You may well be correct Mike, but given the gross inaccuracies and badly researched journalism that regularly appears on NBW, how can you be certain that their attacks on BW are based upon accurate information, or biased opinion?

 

If you are aware of the truth in such matters, it would be helpful if you could post the details on this forum for debate.

 

I get the impression that Allan(nbAlbert), a regular poster on this forum, is the Allan Richards that regularly reports on the activities of BW for NBW. If that is the case he might have an opinion regarding the accuracies/inaccuracies of NBW's reporting on that subject.

Roger

[David Schweizer]

 

 

snip <David, in particular, will remember Brian off Peggy-Sue at the wharf, a very helpful and approachable face of the Trust as restorers and operators of the Canal. Bradford was never the same after he was ousted.> snip

 

 

Yes I remember Brian well, and still saw him from time to time. Did you know he passed away a couple of weeks ago?

 

I left the K&A Trust a couple of years after Brian was ousted, because I found the then Excecutive Officers an arrogant and ignorant lot, who did not know how to motivate or appreciate volunteers.

 

Very possibly.

 

On the other side, there is the fact that having joined, and discovered that it actually pushes a narrow agenda of the inner circle, whilst claiming the support of the total membership, some people simply CBA to cancel the standing order.

I cancelled my membership of NABO for that very reason. Sueb knows my feelings on the matter.

 

If they started to represent the needs of all their members rather than a minority clique, I would consider re joining.

Edited February 1, 2011 by David Schweizer