‘The waterways bring me peace – there’s nowhere I’d rather be’
For busy HR manager Jayne Graham, 53, from Fradley, Staffordshire, helping clear a clogged waterway is a welcome break from her demanding day job.
‘Kitted out in full fishing gear and waist deep in a stream clogged with plastic bags and rubbish, I struggled to keep my balance. I could have toppled in at any moment – and yet, I couldn’t stop laughing.
Believe it or not, this was one of the highlights of my month as the latest volunteering task I’d been given by the Canal & River Trust. With the canal running outside my house, the waterways’ combination of gentle bustle and deep calm have always fascinated me. When I saw an advert looking for volunteers at Fradley Junction – one of the busiest intersections on the canals – six years ago, I couldn’t sign up fast enough. Back then, I knew I wanted to do something for my local community, but I never would have guessed how much I would get out of it myself.
ENJOYING NATURE
The other me – the one not in waders – is an HR manager for a national supermarket chain. I love my job and
I’ve been with the same company for 31 years, but the long working weeks, often packing in up to 60 hours, do take their toll. Combined with caring for my elderly mum, I often crave some time to switch off and to give something back to the wonderful world we live in. That’s where getting stuck in on the canals comes in.
One Saturday a month, I meet up with my fellow volunteers, clocking in at 10am when we’re given our tasks for that day. It can be anything from painting lock gates to building bug hotels. We might be clearing weeds around Fradley Pool, the nature reserve alongside the canal, or learning how to weave traditional fences. Whatever it is, I love being in the great outdoors, seeing how I am really making a difference. All the volunteers meet up in the canal-side cafe for some lunch and a catch-up, then we’re back out to work until mid-afternoon, before we all head home, satisfied with a job well done.
This time of year is especially magical. After the winter chill, the waterways start coming alive again, both with visitors and with nature. As the blossom buds on the trees and mother ducks take to the canal with their chicks, I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be.
There’s a real camaraderie between me and the 15 or so other volunteers, seven of whom I’ve been with since day one. I organise curry nights for us all to get together a couple of times a year and love listening to all the different life stories everyone has. I’ve been to gigs with the friends I’ve made, and joined them walking and cycling, so the friendship extends well beyond the towpath. Best of all, none of them know anything about my work, so for that one day a month, I can switch off completely…’
‘I crave time to switch off and give back’