Digging and the Droitwich Canals

2012 is when British Waterways’ navigations will be transferred to the New Waterways Charity. With such a significant event looming on the horizon in terms of fundraising and volunteering, it’s easy to forget that volunteers have been active on Britain’s canals and rivers for decades rather than years.

However, the soon-to-be-opened Droitwich Canals have been the focus of volunteering efforts for donkey’s years and are a thrilling example of what can be achieved when volunteers and British Waterways work together.

The Droitwich Canals officially closed in 1939 and soon after fell into a poor and un-navigable condition. However, in 1973 the Droitwich Canal Trust, a group of people passionate about preserving inland waterways, started work on restoring them. In July 2001 the Droitwich Canal Restoration Partnership was formed consisting of Wychavon District Council joined with Worcestershire County Council, British Waterways, The Waterways Trust and the Droitwich Canals Trust. The Droitwich Canals are now on the verge of opening fully to navigation thanks to the efforts of the scores of volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to help out.

New cruising ring

Adrian Hamlyn is one of the many British Waterways restoration volunteers on the Droitwich Junction Canal who donate their time and energy to help return the neglected Droitwich canals to their former glory and provide a new cruising ring in Worcester. A relatively recent recruit, Adrian is a retired doctor who now spends his Tuesdays, Thursdays and a few Sundays working at the Hanbury Locks on the Droitwich Canal.

While you may think that being a doctor has little in common with canal restoration, Adrian draws a number of comparisons between the two disciplines and explains: “You have to work as part of a team. Accuracy and precision is essential and conservation is also important. We want to leave as much of the original structure there as possible, which is generally what you want to do with patients.

New skills

“A lot of the skills that the volunteers have I would class as ‘garage skills’, as in we’re ok with a hammer and nails. When we joined we went through the health and safety rules and I’ve been provided with protective gear and a very natty sweatshirt! I have been learning new skills, namely how to carry out heavy mechanical jobs in freezing cold weather.

Digging features heavily in Adrian’s days by the canal, with other back-breaking tasks thrown in for good measure. “I’ve been digging, cementing, brick laying, digging pits for bollards and digging out areas for quadrants. I’ve also been digging holes for fence posts,” says Adrian. “It is hard work but the morale that the volunteer team shows is second to none and we are headed by a British Waterways supervisor whose knowledge and leadership is excellent.”

Volunteer co-ordinator Suzanne Byrne is equally complimentary and says: “Our volunteers are loyal, reliable and extremely hard-working. They work well as a team and get a real sense of satisfaction helping out their community and the canal environment. It’s a privilege for me to be working with such dedicated people on such a wide variety of tasks.”

All weather conditions

Adrian can find himself working alongside anything from five to fifteen other volunteers when he turns up for his eight-hour shift. Working in all weather conditions, to keep returning week after week is testament to the devotion of the volunteers, although providing the right type of snacks does appear to play a part in volunteer retention.

“We keep coming back because Suzanne provides us with tea and good quality biscuits, I believe they come from Waitrose,” says Adrian, although he also goes on to explain it’s not all about the biscuits. “It’s also rewarding to join in with the camaraderie and have the knowledge that you’re not just restoring a vital element of the country’s history, what we’re doing is also going to be of genuine use to the local community. It has been estimated that restoring the canal will bring £6m worth of benefits to Droitwich each year. However, it is important to remember that volunteering is of no use without a framework. You need to have access to a supervisor, materials and a depot and it’s critical that there’s adequate financial provision for this.”

Once the Droitwich project is over, Adrian plans to continue volunteering for British Waterways and has already expressed interest in becoming a volunteer lock keeper, ranger and taking part in the education programme. With volunteers like Adrian on board, it looks as though the future of our Canals and Rivers is looking buoyant.

If you're interested in volunteering for British Waterways and would like more information on the opportunities available visit waterscape's volunteering pages.

Last updated: 28/03/2011