You are here:

Life as a volunteer waterway ranger


Volunteers have always played a vital part in helping British Waterways to preserve and promote the canals, and their work looks set to become even more valuable as the organisation prepares for the transition into a charitable trust in 2012. Waterscape interviews Dek Owen, a volunteer waterway ranger at Audlem, Cheshire about his work and what he gets out of volunteering.

Dek, an engineer in the railway industry, who lives in North Shropshire, has been volunteering at Audlem since September 2010. He says: “I had done a lot of volunteering work in the past, and I like giving something back to society. I chose this particular opportunity because it was so different to my day job, being very customer-oriented and very physical – I thought it would give me some much-needed exercise and a chance to meet new people. But I also thought it would be a great opportunity to find out more about how British Waterways works.”

A friendly, customer-oriented face

The picturesque town of Audlem on the Shropshire Union Canal is a busy visitor hub, with more than 11,000 boats a year passing through the Audlem Lock Flight and thousands more visitors coming to walk, cycle, or enjoy the scenery and wildlife. Dek’s duties include helping boaters – especially single boaters – through the locks, giving advice to boaters, answering visitors’ questions, building links with the local community, promoting local businesses and general ‘housekeeping’ tasks, such as picking up litter and cleaning canal signs: “It is my role to be a friendly, customer-oriented face for British Waterways and to help promote Audlem.”

As a boater himself, Dek already had lots of relevant knowledge before starting volunteering: “I have a narrowboat myself, and I have been through Audlem with my stepdad on his boat. I’ve also been walking the canals for a few years now, so I’m quite familiar with the area.” In addition, British Waterways provided comprehensive training to prepare him for the role, including a site induction, fire and water safety and life-saving courses and customer service training.

Assisting boaters

Dek proved to be well-suited to the role, which he took on with enthusiasm from the very first day, when he went around Audlem town introducing himself to the locals and explaining his role, before helping a number of boaters get through the lock flight or find moorings. “One couple just wanted to get their Friday fish and chips, but had nowhere to moor up. This was quickly resolved when I asked all the boaters if they needed water, and then suggested that they moor at one of the water points for five minutes. Helping out here helped the water level in the flight pounds and saved time and frustration to the boaters, while the couple were able to get their fish and chips!”

Dek adds: “I had many opportunities to meet and talk to lovely people passing through on walks, and I answered many questions about the canal, including demonstrating to a walking group how a lock works.”

Positive response

“Overall, I’ve had a very positive response. I’ve had lots of good feedback, helped a lot of people and got a lot of smiles. Some people are quite shocked to find out I’m a volunteer, but they still seem to think it’s a good idea.

“It has been a fantastic experience for me and has far exceeded my expectations of the role and its opportunities. I’ve got a lot out of it.”

And, Dek has nothing but praise for the British Waterways staff he has worked with, especially waterway manager Wendy Capelle and team leader David Bailey: “British Waterways have surpassed expectations in their helpfulness. Nothing’s too much trouble for Wendy and Dave. They are very professional and totally dedicated.”

To find out more about volunteering on your local canal or river, visit our volunteering pages.

Last updated: 01/02/2011

We'd love to hear your comments on this article, but please ensure they meet our guidelines. We reserve the right to remove all or part of a comment before or after publication.