Communications Update

16 September 2016

News Round Up

News round up

It's been a quieter week on the news front...

· Waterway manager Jon Horsfall is quoted on the ITV website (11/9/16) regarding the open day last weekend at Naburn Lock

· Volunteer Jon Stopp spoke to BBC Radio Manchester (10/9/16) about last weekend’s Manchester Waterside Festival

· The Time Out blog (9/9/16) has a piece on the duck weed on the Hertford Union Canal and the Trust’s work to remove it

· And finally, the Metro (11/9/16) has a ‘moooving’ story about the rescue of a cow from the Shropshire Union Canal

In social media:

· The Trust’s Angling Facebook page now has over 10,000 likes!

· The decline of dormice in Britain was big news on Twitter. Our tweet about the Trust’s work with dormouse boxes and hedgerow corridors reached over 6,000 people, was retweeted 47 times and liked 84 times

· We shared a news article by the Environment team about iconic birds found on our waterways. The Facebook post has reached over 10,000 people and has had 332 reactions, comments & shares

And coming up next week: · Media have been invited to come and preview the open day at Saul Junction this Sunday

· It’s the Trust’s Annual Public Meeting in Birmingham next Thursday

· We’ll be publicising repairs to an aqueduct on the Peak Forest Canal

· We are finishing off repairs to the breach on the Rochdale Canal caused by the Boxing Day floods

· We’re asking the capital’s boaters “who’s living on London’s boats?” to help us develop our London Mooring Strategy

· We’re letting boaters know that from 14 November they’ll be able to pre-book passage through the likes of Anderton Boat Lift and Standedge Tunnel, plus space at Wigan and Ellesmere dry docks, online

· There’s quite a bit of filming happening on the waterways including:

Celebs Up the Canal, a new TV show for Channel 5 starring , , Simon Callow and Debbie McGee, is being filmed on the Kennet & Avon this Sunday and on the Leeds & Liverpool next month

Secret Life of Puppies on – is being filmed on the Kennet & Avon in Bath today

Also just agreed – Finding Your Feet – a middle-age reinvention rom-com feature film with Timothy Spall (living on a narrowboat) and Imelda Staunton is to be filmed in Little Venice in November

Living Waterways Awards

Living Waterways Award ceremony took place in Birmingham on Wednesday evening. Well done to all the fantastic people and projects who were winners and to all the shortlisted nominees. The nine category winners were:

Art & Interpretation - Mikron Theatre Annual Waterways Tour 2015 Community & Volunteering - Macclesfield Canal Green Flag, Contribution to the Built Environment - Porter Brook Pocket Park Education & Learning - Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold Residential Natural Environment - Fenny Compton Butterflies Recreation & Tourism - Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust, Restoration & Historic Environment - Conserve Nantwich Aqueduct Special Award – Volunteers Flood In Outstanding Achievement Award – Di Skilbeck MBE who is a volunteer at Ellesmere Port museum and President of the Boat Museum Society.

The Canal & River Trust also presented the Volunteer of the Year Award to Peter Bruton. Peter has volunteered on the waterways in the West Midlands since 2004 and is a lead volunteer on the Heritage Working Boats team and volunteer boat skipper.

For more information about the awards and the winners click here

What’s on this weekend?

• Saul Junction Open Day Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

Sunday 10am – 4pm Gloucester GL2 7JY.

Opportunity for the public to walk into the empty lock and speak to our experts about this HLF funded restoration project.

• Mad about Bats at Standedge Tunnel

Friday and Saturday 7pm – 10pm

Join West Yorkshire Bat Group for an illustrated talk followed by a walk around Standedge Tunnel site looking and listening for bats. Booking essential call 01484 844298. £6 Adults, £4 Children

• It’s Open House Weekend in London .

Where fascinating buildings, usually closed to the public, are opened for visitors. The Trust’s Three Mills Lock, West India Docks Impounding Station and Brentford Toll House will be open for people to have a look around.

• Tipton Canal & Community Festival, Dudley No 1 Canal Friday to Sunday Tipton DY4 8PX

Organised by Tipton Community Association and supported by the Trust. Includes historic working boats and boat trips, a floating band, crafts, fairground and live entertainment.

• Winsford Salt Regatta

Organised by the River Weaver Navigation Society, Winsford Flash Cheshire Friday - Sun with space for more than 30 canal boats at the improved mooring and access facilities at the head of the River Weaver Navigation. The event has a strong campaigning element to improve boat usage on the River Weaver and the longer term aim of providing a link to the Shropshire Union Canal. Contact [email protected]

• Tapton celebration weekend. Tapton Lock

Chesterfield Canal S41 7JB. Saturday and Sunday 11am – 4pm

Activities include boat and canoe rides, climbing wall and poetry and performance.

• IWA towpath walk Grand Junction and Regent’s Park Canals.

Meet at Kings Cross taxi rank Sunday 2.30 – 4.30pm

£10, concessionary £8.

Other Events

Birmingham Floating Market

A range of roving traders will be gathered together offering their wares. Event details

23 to 25 September 2016 10:00am - 5:00pm

Outside Barclaycard Arena, Sheepcote Bridge, Birmingham Old Mainline Canal B16 8AE

Come along to this traders market, it will include laser cut crafts, wax goods, rosettes, crafts, doggie gifts, handmade cards, jewellery as well as home brew kits, plants, cafe boats, herbalists, wooden sculpture art, herbs and spices, antiques and collectibles, paintings, charity boats and lots more.

Markets will be running from 10 - 5 each day.

Any enquiries please email [email protected]

Go Fish at Hayes

Come and have a go at fishing at a free activity day on the Grand Union Canal in Hayes. Event details

25th September 2016 11:00am - 4:00pm Address High Point Village Station Road Hayes UB3 4FN

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

Annual Public Meeting

You are invited to join the Canal & River Trust's Annual Public Meeting Event details

22nd September 2016 10:00am - 1:00pm

IET Birmingham Austin Court Birmingham B1 2NP

Allan Leighton, chair, would be delighted if you could join us at our annual public meeting to find out more about our work over the past year and our plans and challenges for the year ahead.

Programme

10:00 - Registration

10:30 - Annual Public Meeting

12 noon - Lunch

To book your free place please register here

Selima ‘Champions’ – here to help

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 Lead Volunteer Lock Keeper and a CAATS assessor. He normally volunteers on the South Derbyshire section of the T&M, and also at other locations. He can travel throughout the East Midlands & West Midlands waterways and over the boundary into neighbouring regions within an hour's travel from Derby. [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]