Communications Update
29th July 2016
News Round Up
Here's your weekly dose of waterways related media coverage
· Head of museums Graham Boxer was featured on BBC Breakfast news (26/07/16) ahead of the reopening of Gloucester Waterways Museum. Graham spoke about the history of the waterways in this part of the country and the ambitions for the museum in the future
· BBC Radio Leicester have taken their afternoon show out onto the River Soar.
Enterprise manager James Clifton set the scene perfectly before they set off (forward 1hr 4mins)
Team leader Mark Whitfield was on hand to help the team through Saddington Tunnel (2hr 47mins).
You can hear the rest of their journey along Leicestershire’s waterways over the next two days at www.bbc.co.uk/radioleicester (3pm - 6pm)
· BBC London and London Live (22/07/16) joined graduate ecologist and environmental scientist Chantal Dave and waterway operative Tim Mulligan to learn about the explosion of duck weed on London’s canals. The story was also reported by the Guardian (28/07/16), Daily Telegraph (24/07/16), Evening Standard (22/07/16) and local newspapers
· The tragic fatality of a boater in Droitwich received a huge amount of coverage this week, with the Daily Telegraph , Mirror , Sun and ITV all reporting the incident (26/07/16). Waterway manager Nick Worthington spoke very well when interviewed by BBC Hereford & Worcester (26/07/16), among a series of interviews he did, while volunteer lock keeper James Cowlishaw was quoted by BBC Online (26/07/16)
· CNN (26/07/16) is the latest outlet to report on rising boat numbers in London · Civil Society (27/07/16) focussed on the Trust’s annual report
· National fisheries and angling manager John Ellis gave a fantastic couple of interviews about our Go Fish! campaign to BBC Radio Manchester (22/07/16) and BBC Radio Liverpool (25/07/16 – forward 27mins)
· BBC North West news (27/07/16) reported on the anniversary of James Brindley, filming at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port
· Heritage advisor Bill Froggatt spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire (21/07/16 – forward 39mins) about the Leeds & Liverpool Canal bicentenary and Blackburn Canal Festival. Kate Sharples, the Trust’s Coast to Coast project manager, was also interviewed by the station (21/07/16 – forward 1hr41mins) about the canoe hub in Blackburn
· “Distracted Pokemon Go players have fallen into the canal three times! ” (22/07/16) - the Coventry Telegraph’s headline tells how the canals are feeling the impact of the worldwide Pokemon craze
In social media:
· We now have over 50,000 likes on Facebook
· We tweeted about Carol Kirkwood from BBC Breakfast broadcasting the weather from Gloucester Waterways Museum. Carol retweeted us and the tweet reached over 13,000 people (Carol has 106k followers)
· We let people know that a programme featuring Bryn Terfel (Welsh Bass- baritone) crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was showing on S4C on Friday night. This was seen by over 9,500 people and was engaged with (clicks, likes, retweets) 284 times
And coming up next week, we’ll be:
· Announcing plans for winter moorings 2016/17
· Promoting our summer water safety message
· Visited by the Express & Star newspaper to talk about our teams working on the canals in the West Midlands
· Hosting a Share the Space event in Batchworth in the South East · Visiting the London Live TV studios for a discussion about rising boats numbers in the capital
· Receiving a cheque from the Campaign For The Protection of Rural England for the Every Mile Counts appeal to replace missing mileposts for the Leeds & Liverpool 200, in Silsden, West Yorkshire
· Telling media about this weekend’s floating market on the Kennet & Avon Canal
· Promoting the Kennet ceremonial boat journey along the Leeds & Liverpool to celebrate the bicentenary in October
· Hosting BBC Radio Coventry at Hartshill Yard where a recent paranormal investigation revealed findings - including footsteps, voices, lights and sightings of figures - which could not be explained
What’s on this weekend?
Friday – Don Gorge fishing activity day 11am – 4pm Sheffield and South Yorkshire navigations DN5 7NB. Angling taster sessions, interactive games and refreshments contact [email protected]
Gathering of historic narrow boats at Audlem Mill Saturday and Sunday , on the Shropshire Union Canal CW3 0DX. Boats dating from the 1900s through to 1960 including Saturn , a 1906 Shropshire Union Canal fly boat and President , the only originally steam-powered narrow boat still powered by a steam engine.
FolkSail Festival at the Yorkshire Waterways Museum Saturday and Sunday . Aire & Calder Navigation Main Line, River Ouse DN14 5TB. Boat trips, heritage boats, live music, pirates, BBQ and bar! Email [email protected] for more information.
Dewsbury Canal Festival Saturday and Sunday Calder & Hebble Navigation West Yorkshire WF12 9DB. Saturday is a ‘Try’-athlon with family waterway activities and on Sunday you can enjoy a traditional canal festival with stalls, boat trips and a fairground.
Linslade Canal Festival Saturday 11am – 5pm Tiddenfoot Waterside Park LU7 2AE. Come and celebrate canal life. The fundraising team will be there to support the festival and sign up new friends. http://www.leightonlinslade-tc.gov.uk/canal-festival-2016/
Bradford on Avon Floating Market Saturday and Sunday 10am – 4pm. Kennet and Avon Canal between Lock Inn and Tythe Barn BA15 1LF. Handmade vintage and creative goods. Free entry.
Standedge Tunnel Country Fair, Huddersfield Narrow Canal Saturday and Sunday HD7 6NQ. Third year for this popular event which will be showcasing local food producers and artisan crafts plus a petting farm and entertainment for children. Boat trips through the tunnel will be taking place all weekend. On Sunday there is an Over and Under Adventure starting at 10am. Booking is essential for this on 01484 844298.
Newbury Artisan Market Kennet and Avon Canal 10am – 4pm Sunday. Newbury RG14 1DJ. Every month until 27 th November. Independent food and craft producers.
Other Events coming up
• Top of the World Tours at Anderton Boat Lift
6th August to 27 th August 2016
10:30am - 4:00pm
Anderton Boat Lift
Weaver Navigation, Trent & Mersey Canal
On special dates we will be giving you the chance to get up close and personal with the Anderton Boat Lift. This unique behind the scenes tour is not for the faint hearted, the tour starts in the Visitor Centre with one of our experienced guides and then you are escorted out on to the Lift along the aqueduct, taken into the previously unseen control room and machine deck.
Booking is advisable as the space on each tour is limited.
Tours last approximately one hour and run at:
11:00am 12:15pm 1:45pm 3:00pm
The tour is priced at £10 per person.
Please call the booking line on 01606 786 777
Please note, the tour is on the top of the lift so is not suitable for people with a fear of heights. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing; the walkway on the Lift is steel grating and it may be windy at the top. This is a walking tour and there is a need to climb steps. A minimum age policy applies.
• Rule the World at the Anderton Boat Lift
Enjoy a night of live entertainment with the unique backdrop of the Anderton Boat Lift, featuring the UK's No 1 Take That tribute act, as seen on BBC's Graham Norton Show
12th August 2016
6:30pm - 11:30pm
Weaver Navigation, Trent & Mersey Canal Lift Lane Anderton Northwich CW9 6FW
Join us at Anderton for the first evening of the Anderton Music Festival, featuring the UK's number one Take That tribute act, Rule the World as the headlining act.
As seen on BBC 1's Graham Norton Show, Rule the World are the only tribute act endorsed by Take That themselves.
There will be a bar and food available on site.
Doors open at 6:30pm, with the first act starting at 7:30pm
Tickets £17.50 in advance
On the door £22.50
Call 01606 786 777 for more details
Please note, this is an outdoor event.
• Let's go fishing on the Trent & Mersey Canal
Come and have a go at fishing at a free activity day on the Trent & Mersey Canal.
13th August 2016
9:30am - 1:30pm
Bridge 70, Weston Lock, Staffordshire
Trent & Mersey Canal
We're celebrating National Fishing Month with a series of free fishing taster sessions taking place all around the country.
Come along to see how much fun fishing can be for all the family. All sessions take place under the supervision of a licensed Level Two coach.
Register in advance to receive a free fishing starter kit . Any child attending a taster session is welcome to sign up for their free fishing kit.
Register for your fishing starter kit here .
Find out more about fishing .
Summer water safety campaign launched
As temperatures soar, the temptation to cool off in a local waterway increases, but so do the dangers. It doesn’t matter how strong a swimmer you are, you can’t train for cold water shock and other hidden dangers. The mother of teenager who drowned while swimming with friends is supporting our campaign urging people to stay out of the water.
To find out more about staying safe near the canals and rivers, go to: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/safety-on-our-waterways
Annual Report charts continued progress
Our annual report & accounts for 2015/16 has been published today (25 July 2016), and highlights an increase in expenditure on the waterways and a growth in the number of people donating to the Trust and visiting, volunteering, and adopting stretches of its waterways.
The report indicates:
Expenditure on the waterways rose by 8% to £128 million, including work on culverts and embankments; channel relining and; 135 winter lock repairs.
Less disruption for boaters, including a significant drop of almost 300 days in unplanned closures compared with 2014/15.
An estimated 380 million visits made in total over the course of the year.
A 50% increase in the number of community canal adoptions in the year to nearly 150.
An 88% approval rating from a growing band of volunteers who gave nearly half a million hours of their time (up 17% on the previous year).
15,800 Friends regularly donating to the Trust – an increase of 60% on the same point the previous year.
Education, youth and volunteer programmes have seen substantial increases – 64,000 children experienced the Trust’s Explorers education work.
Chair, Allan Leighton, comments: "It has been a good year for the Trust as we continue to work to secure a wonderful future for the waterways.
"The growth in volunteering and partnerships with organisations as diverse as the Arts Councils in England and Wales, the Scout Association, Help for Heroes and Rolls Royce, plus numerous local authorities, charitable trusts and local canal societies, illustrates the considerable progress being made.
"Of course, it is the people who live on, use or visit the waterways that continue to make them the special places that they are. We want to continue to harness this passion and whilst reaching out to a greater diversity of communities, so that our canals and rivers can be inclusive of the millions of people living and working around them."
Visit our website for the full report
Have you met our Selima ‘Champions’ yet?
Our Selima Champions are here to support you over the ‘phone or by email and will happily answer any questions you may have about the Selima online expenses system. The Champions can provide support by; talking you through setting up your profile, guidance on entering your first claim and attaching a receipt, saving favourites and duplicating regular journeys or troubleshooting any teething problems you may be experiencing. Please get in touch with them directly using the emails below, or if you’re not sure which Champion to contact get in touch with us at [email protected] and we’ll find the most appropriate person to support you.
Gordon Robbins - Gordon is a Volunteer Lock Keeper and Boat Mover, based at Hatton but travelling across the Midlands and into the South East. [email protected]
Chris Littler - Chris is a Volunteer Lock Keeper at Marple, he can travel across our Manchester & Pennine and North West waterway regions. [email protected]
Mike Groves - Mike is a Volunteer Lock Keeper at Fradley and can travel across the Central Shires waterway and over the boundary into the South East. [email protected]
John Inman - John is a member of the Kennet & Avon partnership and Volunteer Lock Keeper at Bradford on Avon and undertakes training and qualification for the volunteer operation of vessels on both the Kennet and Avon and Bridgwater and Taunton Canals. [email protected]