Birmingham waterway volunteers pick up award

The Waterway Recovery Group and the Inland Waterways Association’s work will be awarded as part of British Waterways’ celebration of the diversity and importance of the volunteering that takes place across its canals and rivers. Ten projects across the UK that have been particularly successful in the past 12 months have been highlighted.

For the past eleven years, more than a hundred volunteers from The Waterway Recovery Group and the Inland Waterways Association have organised massive clean up operations on the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Bikes, prams, toilets, tyres, counterfeit coins, old cars, and even a coffin have been pulled from canals on previous clean-ups. These annual volunteering events make a real difference for the local community as well as improving the environment.

The ten projects singled out to receive one of the inaugural awards were all nominated by BW staff and the presentations will be made during October by BW’s regional general managers.

Last year BW was involved with volunteer-led projects that contributed over 8,000 volunteer days to the promotion and upkeep of the waterways worth in excess of £400,000.

Tony Harvey, British Waterways West Midlands general manager, comments: "The waterways have a long history of volunteering which is still central to the delivery of physical works, customer service, research and promotional activities. Through their dedication, commitment and extensive knowledge of the waterways, volunteers directly benefit the fabric of the nation’s canal network as well as adding colour and interest for visitors and improving daily life on the waterways.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers on our region's inland waterways. If we could, we'd thank them all individually but I hope that the recognition of this project can be seen as a start to greater recognition of their efforts and their importance to our canals and rivers."

Earlier in 2008 British Waterways appointed a national volunteering manager to improve BW's engagement with volunteers and increase volunteer support. A further objective of the role is to create greater consistency in approach to working with volunteers and support for volunteer organisations.