On 2 July 2012 a new charity, the Canal & River Trust has taken over responsibility for England and Wales’ waterways from British Waterways, with the latter now ceasing to exist.
Canal and River Trust, which has IHBC representative and past-chair John Yates on its Board, writes:
In an increasingly fast-paced and hectic world, our wonderful canals and rivers in England and Wales remind us of a time gone by and give us a unique place to reconnect with people, nature and history and we’re here to protect them.
The Canal & River Trust hopes to inspire and motivate everyone who cares about our canals and rivers to get involved with their future. It’s an idea that’s been many years in the making and involved countless dedicated people, all of whom had a vision that canals and rivers will be looked after so that future generations can enjoy them.
During the transition from British Waterways to the new Canal & River Trust we’ve been overwhelmed by peoples’ kindness and willingness to give us their time and expertise. Whether as volunteer lock keepers, members of specialist advisory committees or as graphic designers you’ve blown us away with your enthusiasm. Thank you!
We’ll be celebrating publicly with all our local partners right across England and Wales on 12 July. In the meantime, now we’ve been officially created, we’re just putting the finishing touches to things like our website. We are very excited about the new future for waterways cared for by the Canal & River Trust. We hope you are too!
Canal & River Trust: LINK
Civil Society News: LINK
