Plea for volunteer lock keepers

[Alway Swilby]

On Radio 4 World at One in a minute.

 

[Naughty Cal]

Was on our local news this morning as well.

[matty40s]

Are these the folks that turn up in droves in March, cause chaos at Easter, dwindle by May and not seen after June??

[Allan(nb Albert)]

Just been on BBC1 Midlands news - interviewing a volunteer co-ordinator outside the Swan at Fradley.

[b0atman]

I have no problem with the volunteer ethos as long as it does not cause a loss of jobs.

We need CRT people on the cut.

Volunteers at Fradley my experience good bunch but only doing the prime spot lock. 4 volunteers on my trip through I asked and one did the swing bridge for me .

[Ray T]

press release

12 January 2015

 

NATIONWIDE APPEAL FOR PUBLIC TO ‘UNLOCK’ ICONIC WATERWAY ROLE

 

With Britain’s canals booming, the charity that looks after them is searching for a new generation to take on perhaps the most iconic waterway role of all – the lock keeper.

The Canal & River Trust is seeking volunteers to join a nationwide team to keep the canals of England and Wales flowing. They will ensure that an age-old waterway tradition is kept alive whilst also keeping fit, meeting new people and sharing their passion for their local waterways.

 

There are more boats on the canal network than at the height of the Industrial Revolution and the volunteers will be invaluable in looking after the waterways, including helping boaters through locks, providing a friendly welcome to visitors and keeping their stretch neat and tidy.

 

Last year over 480 people regularly volunteered for this iconic outdoors position across the 2,000 miles of inland waterways looked after by the Canal & River Trust. This year, there are over 80 locations where people can volunteer their help, including 33 sites which are brand new for 2015.

 

The opportunities are at some of the most picturesque canal locations, including:

• Fradley on the Trent & Mersey Canal – a really busy location for boats in a picture-postcard setting
• Caen Hill Lock Flight – a Scheduled Monument and one of the ‘wonders of the waterways’ which carries the Kennet & Avon Canal up a flight of 16 locks outside Devizes in Wiltshire
• Camden Lock in London – one of the most popular canal locations in London, adjacent to the bustling Camden Market with its stalls, bars and tourists
• Grindley Brook on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire – a stunning canal and one of the most popular canals for people on boating holidays
• Huddersfield Broad Canal – leading to the famous Standedge Tunnel, the longest canal tunnel in Britain.

 

Phil Arm, aged 63, from Cannock has been a volunteer lock keeper for the past two and a half years and looks forward to every day that he is out on the canal.

 

He retired after 32 years as a teacher and being a volunteer lock keeper gets him out in the fresh air, keeping fit, meeting people and helping others.

 

A father of two, with one grandchild, Phil said: “I would recommend the role to anyone, it can be hard physical exercise at times opening and closing the lock gates, but that’s what I like about it. It’s great to chat with people and give advice on the best places to go and talk about the history of the local area and how the locks work.

 

“The summer is the busy time helping boaters to operate locks, but I love what I am doing so much that I still volunteer during the winter by helping to maintain the canal.”

 

Edd Moss, national volunteering manager at the Canal & River Trust, comments: “Volunteer lock keepers really are the friendly faces of the canals and boaters and visitors on the towpath love them. The role involves talking to boaters, helping them through locks. Their local knowledge can really help people get the most out of their visit by pointing out the best stopping points, canalside pubs and hidden gems along the way.

 

“The volunteers play a vital role in keeping customers happy and also help to keep local waterways in good working order so their efforts really are invaluable. Anyone can get involved, the role’s open to people of all ages as long as they are reasonably fit and healthy and enjoy meeting new people.

 

“It’s a great opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors and help people to enjoy the fantastic heritage and wildlife that can be found on the nation’s waterways.”

 

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer lock keeper and enjoy being outside and meeting new people, find out more at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteer.

 

Ends

 

For further media requests please contact:

Stephen Hardy, communications manager, Canal & River Trust

T: 01636 675703 M: 07920 077190 E: stephen.hardy@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

Notes to editors:

The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales, caring for the nation’s third largest collection of listed structures, as well as museums, archives, and hundreds of important wildlife sites.

We believe that living waterways transform places and enrich lives and our role is to make sure there is always a place on your doorstep where you can escape the pressures of everyday life, stretch your legs and simply feel closer to nature.

www.canalrivertrust.org.uk @CanalRiverTrust @crtcomms

 

 

Volunteer lock keeping

In a survey of volunteer lock keepers, 99% said they planned to return the following year and over 70% of people said that ‘keeping fit and active’ was one of the major motivations for waterways volunteering.

 

The Canal & River Trust cares for 1,583 locks and there are approximately 3.8 million ‘lockings’ each year (passages through locks). Over 32,000 boats now call the waterways home; a figure higher than at the height of the industrial revolution.

 

 

 

 

Stephen Hardy

Communications Manager

Canal & River Trust

01636 675703

07920 077190

@CRTStephen

[pearley]

Are these the folks that turn up in droves in March, cause chaos at Easter, dwindle by May and not seen after June??

We had two very friendly volunteers at Hanwell in the last week of October and they picked up the rubbish from the lock sides as they helped us up.

[Bettie Boo]

IMO - the Hanwell flight is a great place to run into some volunteers, I know I really appreciated the help we received this past summer going down the flight, albeit it wasn't from official CRT volunteers, rather a gentleman with a disabled dog at one and a very elderly retired lock keep at another, and a CRT worker at another one of them.

 

This was before we found a technique that works for us and at that point I was doing all four gates and paddles myself on each lock.

 

Ahhh the ol' days...before I knew better

[Alway Swilby]

Are these the folks that turn up in droves in March, cause chaos at Easter, dwindle by May and not seen after June??

 

 

We had two very friendly volunteers at Hanwell in the last week of October and they picked up the rubbish from the lock sides as they helped us up.

 

They were still there when we came up the flight in December.

[jenlyn]

We're not so many in the south east in 2014. The year before saw many, but according to the ones at Stoke bruerne, many had been asked to do number checking along the towpath instead.

It will be interesting to see how many make it to locks this year.

[Tuscan]

Elsewhere I thought I read that CRT stated that 93% of volunteers in 2014 would volunteer again this year so there must be a lot of new roles presumeably.

[Graham Davis]

Thought they had some on the Mon & Brecon last year, but it isn't listed this time.

[madcat]

I'm happy to see volunteer lockies but I'm not happy about number checking by volunteers. I too worry about the loss of permanent staff but I don't think volunteer lockies are a threat on that front.

[SamKingfisher]

Oh but they are. Paid lockies have been replaced on the L & L I believe. Certainly as volunteers have come in, paid lockies have gone. There was a mad idea to run the 5 rise with one paid and volunteers, that didn't go so well...

[onionbargee]

Why is CRT putting resources into acquiring and training volunteers to do what boaters already do themselves , I. E work locks ?

 

How can that possibly be on any list of priorities ?

[madcat]

I was unaware of that as I've been away from the NW for a goodly number of years now. What's the current plan ?

 

I've encountered the volunteers at Hatton and they were a good bunch of people. I love a bit of help and the company. I hope they have lockies on the Wolverhampton 21 next year.

[Sabcat]

I'm surprised CRT hasn't got on the workfare bandwagon.

[The Bearwood Boster]

They don't put volunteer lockies on the 21 as there are no facilities for them to use on the flight or near to it.

[madcat]

OB I think it's part of the Charity model of operating , Volunteer hours are carefully recorded where I am , it seems to be part of the requirements for charitable status.

 

anyway I appreciate a bit of help I'm just a mad old cat and getting a bit frayed round the edges.

[madcat]

That's a shame Bearwood , it needs a bit of life and love .

 

I've had all my seriously wierd encounters with people on that flight. I'm not hugely fond of going up and down on my own and it's aways a relief to get out of the last lock.

 

There's been one or two dead uns in them locks over the years . I don't think they ever found the drug dealers head just the other bits.

[blackrose]

Why is CRT putting resources into acquiring and training volunteers to do what boaters already do themselves , I. E work locks ?

 

I don't really understand it either. Don't most boaters work locks themselves?

 

I must admit I was very glad to see the volunteers turn up when I was going down the Caen Hill flight nearly 2 years ago. I'd done about 6 by myself and was already feeling knackered. They whizzed me down the flight in no time at all.

[Arthur Marshall]

The lock keeper at Grindley Brook has always had a fair job on his hands - there is always a queue in both directions and tempers get frayed in the summer, especially when people try to force their way through. i think the rule there is four up and four down, but it's hard to keep track of if you're just on the boat - and people do tell lies a lot... I don;t envy a volunteer.

[system 4-50]

I shall always be grateful to the volunteer that saw me working the last few locks of the 25 ending at Audlem and correctly worked out that I needed to carry on doing them myself but went on ahead to set the next/last two for me. At the end of a long day, much appreciated.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

Elsewhere I thought I read that CRT stated that 93% of volunteers in 2014 would volunteer again this year so there must be a lot of new roles presumeably.

As with visitor numbers and boat numbers, there has been some manipulation of figures relating to volunteers by both BW and CaRT.

 

Certainly, part way through last year there were concerns at board level regarding volunteer numbers being below target which 'late reporting' could not account for.

 

Perhaps those that drop out of volunteering during the year are not asked if they would volunteer next year.

[onionbargee]

I noticed CRT's youtube PR output is always closed for comments.

 

The worms.