This week we’ve been on one of the shortest stretches of canal new to us – the 7 miles of the Montgomery Canal (known as the Monty).
This stunning canal which straddles the Anglo Welsh border is beautiful, special (site of special scientific interest SSSI) peaceful (at the moment) and well worth a visit by boat, on foot or in a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddle board. It is accessible today thanks to the work of volunteers and campaigners.
The canal was abandoned for commercial traffic in 1944 but by the late 1960s a move was afoot to restore it, led by the Shropshire Union Canal Society. Volunteers gave up their time to lobby councils, physically dig out debris and silt, campaign for funds, and persuade the then British Waterways (now Canal and River Trust, CRT) to back restoration.
Many of those hundreds of volunteers remain anonymous so we can’t thank them in person. One though was Graham Palmer, who organised the London and Home Counties Working Party Group of the Inland Waterways Association which became the Waterway Recovery Group. His remarkable work is remembered on the Monty at the Graham Palmer Lock.
The Waterway Recovery Group published a journal called Navvies Notebook which co-ordinated volunteer activity on the canals across Britain. Their vital work continues to this day – with numerous volunteering opportunities including working holidays or ‘canal camps’.
For many communities along canals the income from carrying cargoes on water have long since gone but the work of volunteers and canal restoration projects have brought new commercial benefits through tourism. Hire boat companies, canalside pubs and cafes bring income streams to often remote areas . Boaters, walkers, cyclists and holiday makers are able to discover new places which are beautiful, peaceful and historic. These are places which in turn play a vital role in supporting the nation’s mental health and physical fitness.
We who live and work afloat travelling the canals have much to be grateful to them for – we may not know their names individually, but we enjoy the lasting impact of their efforts as future generations will do. Volunteering is a remarkable way of giving to our communities, both individually or as businesses, and research shows it is a fulfilling way to increase our own wellbeing. When the full length of the Monty is reopened to navigation, volunteers will have been integral to that happening. It is evident they’ve already achieved so much to get to the current length by galvanising and supporting bodies like CRT.
So – where might you or your company benefit from volunteering so your legacy can live on? What will you give to get back and make yourself feel good in 2022?
Pickingupducks 