Friends Of Crt Volunteer "marketers"

[DeanS]

Due to the recent breakage in a swing bridge on the L&L recently, we've been moored up for a few days in the same spot (at a mooring which has no signage so I've taken it that up to 14days will be ok, although I aim to leave tomorrow if the bridge is fixed. )

 

We have had the pleasure of a CRT tent on the towpath next to our boat for every day we have been moored here, and have even lent the volunteer our high chair so they dont have to stand all day.

 

Anyway, I'm waffling. The point I'd like to make is....I have watched and listened to almost every encounter they have had with the public over the past 5 days. They spend most of the day trying to "chat up" passers by, and explain that the Friends of the Canal is all about. They mention the history of the canals. They mention the closure of BW, and the take over by CRT. They mention that kids can become part of an "Explorers" club...and then at the end, they say...it's £5 a month.

 

I'm moored at probably THE busiest place for foot traffic on the L&L, so it's probably a good reflection of the state of success these "tent people" achieve countrywide. I'm concerned because, to be honest.....they aren't getting many hits...from what I can see. In fact one passer by ranted on about...."why do you want money from land based people....when it's the boaters that use it".

 

I think we should support CRTs efforts to "spread the word", but I dont think this tent on the towpath idea is going to achieve huge numbers. I had an idea.....Would it perhaps not be better for CRT to have a few narrowboats, painted in the branding of CRT...moored at hotspots, with a "free walkthrough" for members of the public.....where people can do a walkthrough a boat...watch a promotional video ....5mins.....and then give them a sign up form to take with them if they dont sign up as a friend immediately. Perhaps offer "friends" free entry in a monthly raffle where they get to do a half day trip in a boat.....

 

WE NEED TO ALL PUT OUR THINKING CAPS ON AND HELP CRT....

[Kwacker]

I think we should support CRTs efforts to "spread the word", but I dont think this tent on the towpath idea is going to achieve huge numbers. I had an idea.....Would it perhaps not be better for CRT to have a few narrowboats, painted in the branding of CRT...moored at hotspots, with a "free walkthrough" for members of the public.....where people can do a walkthrough a boat...watch a promotional video ....5mins.....and then give them a sign up form to take with them if they dont sign up as a friend immediately. Perhaps offer "friends" free entry in a monthly raffle where they get to do a half day trip in a boat.....

 

WE NEED TO ALL PUT OUR THINKING CAPS ON AND HELP CRT....

 

Overheads would be a tad higher than a tent on the towpath, but sounds good to me .... maybe chuck in a free cuppa and a slice of cake.

[DeanS]

 

Overheads would be a tad higher than a tent on the towpath, but sounds good to me .... maybe chuck in a free cuppa and a slice of cake.

 

 

They've removed 72 boats off the waterways this year. Those will do.

[Rich]

In fact one passer by ranted on about...."why do you want money from land based people....when it's the boaters that use it".

 

 

 

Presumably whilst they were walking along the towpath.

[DeanS]

 

Presumably whilst they were walking along the towpath.

 

Exactly.

[nicknorman]

Are you moored up in Yorkshire by any chance?

[matty40s]

Would be a great idea to stick a tent on the Regent Canal towpath with an arrow pointing round it via the canal saying 'cyclists this way'

Are you moored up in Yorkshire by any chance?

You only said because CRT dont cover the mothy- wallet waterways north of the border.

[nicknorman]

Would be a great idea to stick a tent on the Regent Canal towpath with an arrow pointing round it via the canal saying 'cyclists this way'

You only said because CRT dont cover the mothy- wallet waterways north of the border.

True, the Scottish government fully realised there was no point in making the Scottish waterways into a charity. But that's not the point...

[Natalie Graham]

Would it perhaps not be better for CRT to have a few narrowboats, painted in the branding of CRT...moored at hotspots,

Didn't BW used to do that? Often they would have boats tied up, by means of a length of frayed blue twine, for weeks on end at popular moorings.

[ditchcrawler]

Didn't BW used to do that? Often they would have boats tied up, by means of a length of frayed blue twine, for weeks on end at popular moorings.

For popular read lock

[DeanS]

The last one I had to untie and move out my way...it was tied inside a bridgehole...on the Rochdale 9...just below Canal Street...

[junior]

 

Overheads would be a tad higher than a tent on the towpath, but sounds good to me .... maybe chuck in a free cuppa and a slice of cake.

There is a CaRT fat boat atpaddington Basin that doesn't seem to do a lot. They could move that up north.

 

Alternatively, they could just sell it and probably make more money than they do stopping people in a tent on the tow path.

[Dave_P]

I have one of these towpath tents down the canal near me from time to time. Every time I walk past I'm tempted to rant at them about all the broken promises regarding my mooring site over the last few years (water points, lockable gates, electric bollards etc) but I don't. Strangely they never seem to 'chug' me. I probably would have to point out the money I give in mooring fees and see if they can explain to me where it all goes? (I know where it goes - straight into maintaining the main network). 20-odd boaters sharing one broken tap which freezes solid in the winter ain't really good enough. But, I digress...

 

...back to the OP's point, all this fundraising really worries me. It's a stark reminder that time is ticking by and soon CaRT will have to be self funding. Unless they can generate enough income, the moorings and the network will suffer. What are the choices then? Let some canals just go...? Hike up license and mooring fees even more? Reduce maintenance? Charge walkers and cyclists for using the towpath? Who knows? In the past BW have shown themselves to be excellent at squandering money, maybe CaRT will fare better, god knows they need to!

[Mick and Maggie]

In the past BW have shown themselves to be excellent at squandering money, maybe CaRT will fare better, god knows they need to!

 

What odds are you offering?

[luctor et emergo]

All bets are off...

[DeanS]

um......

 

Does anyone know the answer to this. Currently....does the total income from boater licences, cover the cost of maintaining the system, and pay CRT salaries?

If the answer is no, we're up the creek without a paddle.

[mayalld]

um......

 

Does anyone know the answer to this. Currently....does the total income from boater licences, cover the cost of maintaining the system, and pay CRT salaries?

If the answer is no, we're up the creek without a paddle.

 

No, it doesn't even remotely cover costs.

 

IIRC, the total income from Licences and Moorings isn't even CRT's biggest income stream (I believe government grant is top of the list, with charges to utility companies second)

[luctor et emergo]

Let's face it, in the big scheme of the canals, boats are a minority interest. And as long as we are as devided as we are, our voice will be a mere nuisance to those in charge.

[kris88]

I agree completely luctor,its about time all boaters got together which ever toilet you use

Regards kris

[pete.i]

Hi

I am a member of the Canal and River Explorers based at Bingley Five Rise. We do not charge for what we do and as far as I know the other volunteering roles within C&RT do not charge for what they do. As a member of the Canal and River Explorers volunteering team we go into primary schools and teach (rather a grand word for what we do but it's all I could think of to describe what we do) children water safety and canal history. We also tell them about the wildlife and flora on and around our canal system.

 

The reason we do it is to make people, and we think that catching "people" young is the way to go, aware of our canals, their beauty and, most importantly IMO, the canal heritage and the fact that if it wasn't for the canals we in this country would not be where we are now industrially speaking and yes I know that our industrial heritage is not a shade of what it had been now due to various governments either shutting it down or selling it off.

 

When we have visited the schools the children then come to one of the various locations, in my case Bingley Five Rise Locks, around the canal system where Canal and River Explorers volunteers are based. We then show them various water safety aids, show them how to use them (without anyone actually going into the water). We also tell them about the various dangers that are in and around the canals. The children also various other educational activities during their time with us. At our volunteer base we have 2 widebeam boats that are more often than not with us that the children can go onto. One is the Kennet which is a restored Leeds and Liverpool Canal short boat on which there are various fact finding and educational activities and a mock up of a back cabin. We also, usually, have use of the Angus Ferguson which is a widebeam community boat that is owned by The Connected Barge Partnership; Hanson, Grove House and Swain House schools. This also has various educational and fact finding activities on board. (along with a kettle)

 

I am not at all sure who the "Friends of CRT Volunteers" are and to be fair C&RT are going to need all the money and publicity they can get if we are to retain our canal systems around the country. I would just like to reiterate that for everything the Canal and River Explorers volunteers do we do it all for free with the sole aim of making people, through our young people aware of the canals in Great Britain.

 

Pete

Edited July 22, 2013 by pete.i

[cloggy]

Overheads would be a tad higher than a tent on the towpath, but sounds good to me .... maybe chuck in a free cuppa and a slice of cake.

Did someone mention cake

[Henhouse]

Brilliant. Well done you. What you are doing is maybe even more important than raising hard cash. If you can get youngsters interested they are the potential conservators of the future.

 

If they have an interest which is allowed to develop then they are more likely to appreciate it and care about it, and less likely to treat it badly and use the canals as a dumping ground.

 

So whilst you may not actually be raising cash, you may be saving it from having to be spent repairing vandalism. Equally important.

[Pluto]

When we have visited the schools the children then come to one of the various locations, in my case Bingley Five Rise Locks, around the canal system where Canal and River Explorers volunteers are based. We then show them various water safety aids, show them how to use them (without anyone actually going into the water). We also tell them about the various dangers that are in and around the canals. The children also various other educational activities during their time with us. At our volunteer base we have 2 widebeam boats that are more often than not with us that the children can go onto. One is the Kennet which is a restored Leeds and Liverpool Canal short boat on which there are various fact finding and educational activities and a mock up of a back cabin. We also, usually, have use of the Angus Ferguson which is a widebeam community boat that is owned by The Connected Barge Partnership; Hanson, Grove House and Swain House schools. This also has various educational and fact finding activities on board. (along with a kettle)

 

 

Pete

Kennet is run by the L&LC Society, is based at Greenberfield, and has no direct link with CRT, other than supporting them when convenient to the L&LC Society's volunteers who move and staff the boat at events. There is no 'mock up of a back cabin', as back cabins are found on narrow boats. What we do have is a traditional L&LC bow cabin as used by the two boatmen who usually operated L&LC motor boats. The cabin was built by L&LC historian and commercial boat operator, Geoff Wheat, in 1986 when Kennet was first converted by BW to use as a mobile visitor centre, and Geoff had measured up several existing cabins in order to build something as close as possible to what would have been there originally. Kennet will be open at Greenberfield this Saturday (27th) when we are supporting a local council initiative to set up a 'Friends of Greenberfield Locks' which is also supported by CRT.

[Mick and Maggie]

Hi I am a member of the Canal and River Explorers based at Bingley Five Rise. We do not charge for what we do and as far as I know the other volunteering roles within C&RT do not charge for what they do.

It might not be correct to assume that volunteers do it for free. Apparently some volunteers have to pay to do it!!!!!

 

Quote 'Some of their teams had a session volunteering on a canal for CaRT which went very well. So well in fact that staff and management wished to repeat it. However, CaRT, in its wisdom, decided that it was not enough to have free labour so it wanted more. Why not charge the corporate for this gift? Surprise, surprise the company didn't think this was in the spirit of volunteering in the community. So they now focus their highly valued resources on a different community project. Well done CaRT!'

 

http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flash/6021-volunteers-must-pay

[Graham Davis]

With reference to the NBW link above:

 

Many volunteers "pay" for what they enjoy doing, and not just with their time, so the company complaing need to do a bit more research! Why shouldn't a charity get it's costs covered in providing them supervision and equipment?

 

Some examples of my own expenses:

I provide all my own recovery equipment as part of 4x4 Response Wales.

I bought my own specific radio for acting as a Safety Radio on car rallies, plus drive many miles each year to do it, and get no expenses.

Although St John provided a basic First Aid kit I purchased extra, more advanced equipment for my use.