RAB Meeting 03rd September 2020
Attendance
Anil Majithia, Terry Cavender, Andy Oughton, Linny Beaumont, Liz Fleuty, Dan Whyment, Richard Erwin Jones
Apologies
Jane Stubbs, Gemma Bacon, Ahtesham Mahmood, Phil Mulligan
Resignations
Shirley Rodger and Kathryn Doddington
Anil – The RAB is now looking for additional members, although the group has good core members at the moment. If anyone has suggestions for strong candidates, please let me know.
Liz – Has a suggestion for Anil from Ginette Pilkington. Candidate has a destination management background. Will ask Ginette to contact Anil to discuss.
Notes of the last meeting
All attendees happy with the notes of the last meeting. No amendments required.
Regional Round Up - Linny Beaumont
Staffing
- All Staff now back full time from furlough leave as of 1st September. - We have carried out another staff wellbeing survey but not had the results yet, will report results at next meeting.
Activities - Liz to say more during her update.
- We have been successfully chosen by NCS group in Northamptonshire. - We held a virtual volunteer forum last month, Liz able to give more detail. - Street Art is underway in Leicester, all graffiti projects now completed. - Signage project is progressing. - Stoke Bruerne pop up museum outside the café has been very successful (closes end of September) - Stoke Bruerne transformation - tender doc for construction work going out very soon and community engagement starting this month.
Strategic Engagement - MP visits – Ruth Edwards MP (Rushcliffe) and Kath Marriott, Chief Executive of Rushcliffe Borough Council. This visit has provided good contacts within the council. - Next week meeting Lilian Greenwood MP (Nottingham South) in Nottingham, the following week Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) at Watford Locks and the week after Jane Hunt (Loughborough) in Loughborough. - Letters to be sent to all MPs and LAS/LEPs where towpaths are included in our proposal to the Treasury. - Phil and Liz meeting Leader and Director of Planning at Nottingham City Council at the end of September, to work on a strategic partnership.
Heritage & Environment - Azolla Weevils been released by volunteers on the Erewash Canal. Video available. - Reedbeds installed at Castle Wharf by volunteers. - Grantham Canal Society – lock gates at lock 14 have been installed (local news). Phil and Richard have meeting next week. - Also meeting with Kinoulton Parish council and Friends of Lady Bay regarding low water levels on parts of Grantham Canal.
Looking Forward - Business planning process will start soon – no details yet. But will want to capitalise on the increased usage of towpath during lockdown – many more local people have discovered the waterways near to their homes. - Working on a number of complicated Enterprise projects. In Leicester moorings and towpath improvements, just finished Hinckley towpath improvements. - Looking at several potential funding pots – in Nottingham have submitted application to Severn Trent Water and have also been included in the city’s proposals to government for recovery funding (£2m). - Investigating opportunities that may come out of green prescribing announcements and National Academy of Social Prescribing, also potentially NHS charities fund (Anil investigating) - Towns fund projects - Included in Loughborough TF and potentially Long Eaton (new foot bridges) and involved in Newark TF (walking & cycling) - Kickstart programme – Liz will talk about later.
Questions
Anil – How are we engaging with MP’s, politicians etc in Leicester?
Linny - No meetings with MP’s at the moment, have asked for meetings and have written to MP’s. Recently have written to MP’s where we have towpath improvements included in proposal to government. Trying to link in with the LEP, Allen has many engagements at officer level.
More to be done but need to know what we are asking for, need to develop the business planning etc over the coming months. However, lots of activity such as street art going ahead in Leicester.
Anil – Dr Luke Evans MP (Hinckley & Bosworth) is quite influential in health and social care, is a GP by profession. Worth writing to him to try and get him involved.
Operations Update - Dan Whyment
National Picture
- Recognised that overtime spend is substantial, attempting to cut significantly. National review is underway to extend working patterns from 07:00 – 19:00 and improve weekend cover. Nothing finalised yet. - Undergoing costing reviews on certain volunteering activities and how much they cost the Trust. Trying to be smarter about how we spend money and using volunteers in the best way possible. - Reviewing the Trust’s emergency response planning.
Local Ops Update
Our People
- All operations colleagues back from furlough. - East Midlands leading the way in preparation for working towards 7 day cover and covering seasonally extended hours (07:00 – 19:00) as anticipated. - Volunteers are back working at critical sites such as Foxton, Watford, River Trent tidal locks. - Work now underway to bring back volunteers to less critical areas whilst maintaining volunteer safety and confidence. - Looking at extending volunteer opportunities including assisting with out of hours.
Anil – We talked recently about micro volunteering, there is a greater need for volunteering like this now. Can you talk more about the progress on this?
Liz – Will speak more about this later.
Our Network
North
- Various sandbars present along the River Trent. - Effecting our reputation and customer care. - Issues caused by bad weather early in the year, these issues only came to light after the lifting of COVID restrictions. - We have reacted quickly to the need for dredging. Safety issues were quickly identified in various areas. - Plans in place to tackle this at Cromwell and Torksey within Septembers dredging plan. - Tide times along the tidal Trent at Cromwell and Torksey make dredging challenging. - Trent is also due for a full dredge in 2022. - Will help relieve complaints from customers.
Terry – Can the RAB be provided a dredging schedule for the entire region? Would help to respond to some comments from customers and local councils.
Dan – Plans are very subject to change in response to customer updates but will talk to Richard Bennett about providing a rough plan.
Central
- Main focus is the return of volunteers back into noncritical roles. - Will cover signage project in next part of presentation.
South
- Water management is the greatest focus. - Very high demand for boating due to late start to the season. Business boating reports hire boats still fully booked up until end of October. This may impact on planned winter works. - This means our window for completing works may be much smaller this winter. - Issues on the Buckby flight caused a closure due to a blown cill earlier in the season. Also have issues at Lock 8 that we are managing on a daily basis. Will be a 7 to 10 day closure to repair and was planned earlier in the year but unable to complete due to failure at Watford. - Adrian Lole leading on visitor safety risk assessments and weir safety assessments. Andy Oughton – Would like to know more about weir risk assessments, as this is important for paddlers.
Dan – Given that connection is poor, suggests arranging a catch up with Adrian Lole to discuss.
Signage Project
- Richard Erwin Jones project managing the project. - 2 tiers to the signage project.
- Leicester signage project. o Audit has already been completed for this. o Contract Signs will be installing the signage due to volume and time requirements. - Wider regional project o 3 operatives/volunteer leaders (Len Harvey, Richard Bell and Mark Whitfield) have taken responsibility for updating signage across the wider network. o Each have a team of 6 volunteers to audit and update signage across the East Midlands. o Plans are in place and all but 3 volunteers have undertaken required training with final training set for 04/09/2020. o Anticipated work to begin by 14/09 dependant on delivery of tablets from IT. o Project covers auditing existing signage, declutter existing signage and putting up new signage with current Trust branding. o Large project with an ambitious timeline. Target is delivery by 05/2021, official deadline is 09/2021.
Anil – Last RAB meeting we had a presentation on signposting and how to attract and sustain visits to the canal towpaths, will this be considered when delivering the project?
Dan – The wider signage project is about boosting awareness of the Trust on our land, whilst the Leicester project is more about signposting access to the canal, this signage is not always in place on our land.
Leicester audit is complete, all that remains is to install the signs. This is to be completed by a contactor.
Richard EJ – Leicester is a brand activation zone, so more branding activities, support from the marketing team. Whole package of branding activities and promotion. Budget is coming from central pot for brand activation areas.
Andy – I am hoping that the Soar Tour signage is not going to be lost in the signage push. Would be nice to revisit and finish the signage for the tour that didn’t get finish due to reorganisation of the Trust.
Dan – Push is partly to declutter and take down old signs, also to refresh and replace old branded signage like for like with fresh branding. Can catch up in more detail. Strategic Programme Update - Richard Erwin Jones
- Strategic programme has stuttered due to national shutdown. - Initial budget was £200,000 - We have spent very little over last five months so in process of reframing this budget. Expect that some may be cut in near future.
Beauty on the Doorstep (£35,000)
- Number of green flag projects, reapplying for green flag status on the Erewash Canal. Applying for Green Flag status on the Notts Beeston Canal. There are some delays with the judging process. - Working on a project around community ownership, looking at volunteering through towpath rangers and micro volunteering. £1800 set aside for the project. The process has been delayed for towpath rangers, currently identifying microsites for micro volunteering opportunities. - Several youth engagement programs (Duke of Edinburgh, NCS, Prince’s Trust). - We have 2 youth action projects (Nottingham, Leicester) and 1 project with the Prince’s Trust - Unfortunately not successful with NCS in Leicester, another round in October and no Duke of Edinburgh at Foxton. - Big area of work around volunteering and social and green action to support the engagement program. This is around working with partners to run sessions with £5000 set aside for this. Unlikely that these types of events are likely to happen, so we are exploring shifting this budget to a health programme in the new year. - 2 areas of work around supporting boaters o Issue on the tidal section of the River Trent with boater confidence, so we are looking at a buddy scheme and digital content to support boaters. o Successful boaters conference last year, looking at running again as a virtual event in the spring.
Wellbeing on the Doorstep (£10,500)
- Much of this is our participatory engagement programme. - Clearly many of these plans and events were unable to happen during lockdown, did not have a summer events programme for summer. - Looking at developing virtual activities and digital resources. Working with volunteers and partners. - Taster sessions with community groups: promotion linked to community outreach in target areas and is being reinvigorated after the lockdown period. - Social prescribing and preventative health initiative: resources being developed and expressions of interest from link workers. We have a large budget they may require reducing. Project is starting to move forward. - Beat the street Leicester, was scheduled for spring but unfortunately postponed. - Money set aside for half term activities at Foxton and Stoke Bruerne, were not able to go ahead. Budget has been moved to supporting Foxton and promoting it as a destination.
Growing our Brand (£26,000)
- Money set aside for supporting 3rd party events, very few events have gone ahead. - Audit and signage rebrand going ahead well, 60% of central area has been audited. - Project compass Leicester is the rebrand of Leicester waterway with new signage to promote awareness. Money being provided from a central pot. - Several partnership projects that Linny is involved with, one with East Midlands railway and the other with the tourist board. Both are being restarted with activity expected in the spring. - Money for welcome stations being combined with activities budgets and will be used for enhancement at Foxton. - Towpath fundraising and pop ups are being moved from the region to a national team. We are supporting with planning for the transition.
Outcomes focus area Leicester (£57,000)
- Money for this is separate and ringfenced as comes from people’s postcode lottery. - Over half of budget is staffing costs for community roots coordinator. Now back from furlough full time. - Plastics challenge was cancelled with online support but no events. - Money set aside for green flag 2022 in Leicester with community engagement and preparation. - Diwali celebration 2020 will be virtual only event to engage and build on last year’s success with a reduced budget. - Leicester street art project delivered in all locations. - Access points improvements at Limekiln to Belgrave lock, budget set aside.
Examples of Leicester street art displayed, thanks to Liz for continuing the project whilst Richard Erwin Jones on furlough.
Questions
Terry Cavender – Northampton is a large population centre, nothing happening in Northampton in the south. What plans for next year?
Liz – Recognition that there are areas outside of our strategic project. NCS project in Northampton was completed this summer with ops team support. Last year a link with local police in Northampton was established, attended community water safety day. Is somewhere we need to look at more along with Newark, Lincoln and Loughborough. We will look at in the future.
Anil – Terry is quite right that we need to cover the whole of the East Midlands, including the ‘south’ of the region although we are fully integrated with no legacy southern region, is that correct?
Liz/Linny – That’s correct.
Stakeholder Mapping - Linny Beaumont
- Stakeholder mapping has identified good and bad or non-existing relationships. - Engagement plan was shared with the RAB in the last meeting. - Interested in a place on Microsoft teams where RAB can access engagement planning document as this is a very dynamic document that is being constantly updated. Better to have a shared document rather than sending the RAB the same document with small changed.
Liz – May not be able to do this on teams but may be possible to use a shared area on the intranet.
- Since last RAB have had conversations and meetings with Terry and Gemma Bacon. Attempting to use colleague’s knowledge and links to establish more links in LEP’s. - We have strong links in Leicester and Nottingham but need to establish closer links to other LEP’s such as Northampton and Derby areas. - Important to speak to the Leicester MP and get him engaged by showing him the canal and the work we have been doing such as street art and community roots project. - Attempting to focus on relationships where they may be COVID recovery money or towns fund money.
Anil – Important you are getting the support you need and input from the RAB.
Linny – If anyone knows about funding or contacts let me know.
Youth Engagement Framework - Liz Fleuty
- National ambitions for 2025 set out. - Approach is around partnership working, consultation and community ownership. Need a high quality, diverse and varied offer. - Youth engagement framework vision set out. Background to how framework was developed shared including purpose, consultation with young people and external influences, challenges and opportunities. - Youth volunteering summary displayed. - Three pillars of youth engagement displayed (Social Action, Skills Development and Employability, Health and Wellbeing). Underpinned by youth leadership, making sure young people are involved at all stages. o We do social action best within the trust at the moment. Focus on concerns for the environment, climate change and caring for local environment. o Digital and remote volunteering and peer education a big focus at the moment. We had a young leaders programme before COVID with young people across the country developing digital resources to educate their peers on environmental concerns. o Skills Development and Employability is about promoting awareness of career opportunities, particularly within the environmental sector and creating opportunities for people in communities along our waterways. This links into the kickstart project. o We have done family engagement and activities very well but need to focus more on activities for young people going forward. - Summary of youth engagement across east midlands displayed including current position and opportunities for the future. - Youth engagement next steps presented for the short, medium and longer term. - RAB Member can help by: o Identifying potential partners, opportunities o Ongoing promotion of activities and programmes running in the East Midlands. o Support attendance at events/fairs. o
Kickstart Update - Liz Fleuty
- Programme outline supplied. Kickstart funding available from the government as part of COVID recovery plan. - Programme is for cohorts of 50+ young people at risk of long-term unemployment to develop their skills and start a career pathway for employment within the Trust or elsewhere. - Offer based on three strands and will provide entry level roles in each. - Young people will work with the Trust on a six-month placement. - Young people to have input into the programme through our youth engagement programme. - Participants involved in the first ‘round’ will provide feedback as a ‘pre-apprentice programme’. - Program has gone live on week beginning 31/09 so Trust is now able to apply for the funding. - Geographical locations have been selected by the Trust, selected for demographic characteristics, how they have been affected by COVID and are linked with our outcomes focus. o Leicester area selected in the East Midlands. - Three strands of the projects o Heritage and Environment (Surveying assets, planning/delivering conservation works) o Waterway Ranger (customer service and community action, supporting waterway users/local communities to manage local waterways). This strand may be partially incorporated into the Heritage and Environment strand o Construction (developing basic construction skills and performing essential maintenance). - Programme fits in with “delivering beauty on the doorstep”, examples of work that participants would be carrying out is presented. - Role of central team outlined. (Upskill regional team, deliver working with young people training, safeguarding and H&S, demonstrating fit with existing strategic programmes, clear evaluation plan and training for each region) - East midlands progress to date o Consultation on delivery model, raised awareness with senior leadership team, identification of additional opportunities to meet needs (more staff required at Foxton). Identification of potential works. - Next steps o Executive team approval for preferred delivery model. o Bid documentation including video with young people. o Readying the region, role profiles, recruitment and induction planning. o Exploration of mentor programme. - Now awaiting outcome of the bid process, exploring options for supervision, planning work for identifying projects and partner/stakeholder engagement. - First cohort to potentially start in October.
Questions
Terry Cavender – How many young people regionally will be recruited?
Liz – Looking at a smaller cohort as not much construction work in Leicester, need to be smart in number of people we can accommodate. Up to 8 if some can work at Foxton.
Terry – Canal society may take 3 or 4 to do some towpath work at Cosgrove. Opportunity for alignment with Trusts approach and training plans. Some more partner groups may be looking at doing similar projects. Could also share capacity for participants.
Returning Volunteers – Liz Fleuty
- 469 active volunteers across the region with 145 returned. This will be mainly volunteer lock keepers. - 60 partner groups across the region with 20 back up and running however only 607 hours recorded so far. Kelly now back from furlough and will be processing additionally hours. - Volunteer recovery has been managed well.
Virtual Engagement - Liz Fleuty
Volunteering
o Series of monthly inductions and forums online, training for volunteers online. o Online forums have gone very well. Planning for virtual inductions underway. - Looking at creating some digital opportunities, such as social media at Foxton. Range of citizen science volunteering from national team being developed. - Several projects being developed can be considered micro volunteering. - Urban Minds o Programme running in collaboration with Kings College London. o Involves an app for participants that prompts them to answer questions at various points in the day. o Project is about tracking personal wellbeing. o App has now been developed into a bespoke version for the Trust. o Plan to have a subset of the project specifically to track personal wellbeing along the waterways. o First step is to recruit a number of ambassadors who will recruit participants. o May involve a lot of existing volunteers but would like to involve new participants as well. As many as possible. - A lot of micro volunteering development was being undertaken by Scott Miller who has been on furlough so has been largely on hold. - We can now start to pick up this development again. - Will be talking to management across the region to develop opportunities outside of operational tasks.
Community youth and community roots
- Producing a number of videos to run the ‘lets’ activities as digitally prompted self- guided activities. - One activity already developed is a self-led photo trail at Foxton Locks. - Developing a series of videos with a local artist o Will lead participants to points around the network and will provide tips on producing art on the waterways. o Will tie into the national ‘big draw’ festival. - Looking into a series of volunteer webinars, looking at using Instagram live to do this. - Digital skills and learning activities such as water safety information being developed. - Would like to involve the RAB in one of the volunteer live chats, would welcome ideas on topics or on self-led digital activities.
Questions
Anil – It’s difficult to engage with communities in the way we did before COVID, risk losing communities we engaged prior to COVID.
Liz – Rosanna returning and focusing on re-engaging local communities, has strong links with communities in Leicester. Difficult but starting to get engagement back.
Terry – Have to be conscious not to open multiple channels of social media, need to stay fresh and focus our efforts.
Liz – Agree, will try Instagram for the live chats but will not distribute our social media to widely.
Anil – In other sectors such as hospitals livestreamed sessions are often distributed after the meeting so reaches a wider audience.
Virtual APM – Linny Beaumont
- Due to time we do not need to make decisions tonight. - Have been forced to cancel the APM for November. Now plan to hold the APM for March or April, still planning on using the Council House in Nottingham. - We need some suggested dates for March/April and dates to avoid. - Would like to make sure everyone is happy to use the Council House again as is a large space. - Function room in the Canalhouse pub is an option if a much smaller meeting is required. - Would like RAB member support for the planning. - Before the APM we would like a virtual event, at the moment planned for 02/10 launching the Nottingham canal improvement partnership. o 100 businesses signed up for event before lockdown but now will be managed as a virtual event. - If this goes well another virtual event could be launched in Leicester launching the Leicester vision document.
Anil – Will get back to you with RAB member suggestions for dates, happy with virtual events in Nottingham and Leicester. Need to ensure the council house is accessible to all, either walking, train or car. Unsure of use of pub function room due to image and reputation of the Trust.
Linny – Council house is easily accessible and is a great venue.
All agreed the council house is a suitable venue.
Linny - If virtual events go well, we can start upping engagement in the new year especially in the southern area of the patch. We can have more engagement with wider stakeholders throughout the year.
Terry – Suggests speaking and engaging with parish councils.
Date of next RAB Meeting
Anil - Date of next RAB meeting proposed for 05/11/2020 17:00 – 19:00.
- Joe Valentine to send proposed date/time to all RAB members for approval.
Anil – Thanks to all for attending and for presentations.
End of meeting