November London Volunteering Update


From: Deborah Vidler

Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 at 12:40 PM

Subject: November London Volunteering Update from Canal & River Trust

Hello and welcome to the November volunteering bulletin for the London Waterway

The winter works and 'stoppage' season may have started but things are certainly not slowing down in the London volunteering team. This month we have a bumper ebulletin full of events and opportunities, so grab a cup of tea and read on for more information about what's coming up this month and beyond..

Regent's Canal Clean Ups

Those of you who have visited the Regent's Canal around Mile End in the past few days may have noticed something missing...the water! The canal is currently drained between Old Ford Lock and Mile End Lock to enable us to undertake essential repairs to the waterway walls. Excitingly for us in the volunteer team, we've again been given permission to organise some clean up events on the bed of the canal during the works. The events will see teams of staff and volunteers descend onto the bed to collect litter and other rubbish which is usually well out of reach. The first Canal & River Trust event will take place on Saturday 21 November (details in the Towpath Taskforce section below). The Lower Regent's Coalition will also be organising some events so keep an eye on their Facebook page for more information.

November Towpath Taskforce Events

Our November Towpath Taskforce events will be the last ones of 2015 as we take our usual December break. This year we're ending on a high with a chance to descend onto the bed of the Regent's Canal (drained of water of course!) to get to all that litter we can't usually reach. We'll also be at Bow, Southall and Stanstead Abbotts for our final clean ups of the year, fuelled by a few end of season treats! More information on each of these events can be found by clicking the links below or on the Towpath Taskforce diary attached. All tools, equipment and instruction will be supplied, please wear old clothes and hard-soled footwear and if the weather forecast is looking wet, don't forget the waterproofs!

Boat Painting at Southall: 24 November - 4 December

Over the coming weeks we are looking for volunteers to help with the refit and paint of two of our London work boats - the Hanwell and the Enfield. Both boats are in serious need of some TLC, and once restored to full glory will be used around London to support a variety of volunteer events and activities. We will be making a start on the boats as part of the West London Towpath Taskforce event on Tuesday 17th November, and are hoping to complete the work by early December. Tasks will include stripping out internal fixtures, preparing surfaces, painting and fitting new furniture. Work will take place at our boat yard in Southall, which is off Endsleigh Road, UB2 5QW. If you are interested in finding out more or able to help please get in touch - Deborah.vidler@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

Camden's Community Narrowboat is on the Lookout for Volunteers

If you're looking for even more ways to help support your local canal then this could be for you. You may have spotted Tarporley, Camden's Community Narrowboat, out and about on the Regent's Canal. Tarporley is a converted 1937 working boat which is now used for community trips and private hire, giving the community in Camden and beyond the chance to experience London's fantastic canals. The boat is looked after by Camden Canals & Narrowboat Association, a charity operated entirely by volunteers, and they are looking for more people to get involved. Volunteer roles range from crewing and skippering through to boat maintenance, marketing and governance so there's something for everyone. If you are interested in finding out more please click here to visit the volunteering pages on their website.

Dates for Your Diary

And finally.London's canals in starring role again!

If you're going to see the new Bond film this month then keep an eye out for the Regent's Canal. The eagle eyed amongst you might spot the appearance of 'Dead Dog Basin' at Camden, which features as the Thames-side entrance to Q's underground workshop. Cassie Clarke, who handles filming on our canals, has more details on our website here. And for those of you who prefer the small screen, don't forget to tune in to the new series of Great Canal Journeys with Prunella Scales and Timothy West. Series 3 is currently showing on Sunday nights on Channel 4 and episodes are also available to view here on the Channel 4 website.

Thank you for volunteering with the Canal & River Trust. We look forward to seeing you out on the waterways soon!

Best wishes

Debbie Vidler, Volunteer Development Coordinator

Debbie Vidler

Volunteer Development Coordinator

Canal & River Trust

420 Manchester Road, London, E14 9ST

Tel: 07825099167

Email: Deborah.vidler@canalrivertrust.org.uk

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteering

Follow us on Twitter @CRTLondon

See also the CRT poster (in PDF format).