Cotswold canals volunteers rally round to ‘stay afloat’
WITH every week that passes since the start of the lockdown in late March, the Cotswold Canals Trust is losing £2500 from lack of sales.
It was forced to close its charity bookshop and visitor centres as well as battening down the hatches on the trip boats and securing the maintenance depots.
A spokesman said: “These are really difficult times for everyone, especially those who are isolated and missing their families. Our volunteers are no exception; 89% are over the age of 70, many of whom have been restoring the canal corridor for decades.
“Last year they gave the community more than 33,700 hours of their time to clear towpaths, restore bridges, locks and dredge the canal.”
Not content with sitting at home waiting for the charity activities to resume, the volunteers and members rallied and in just four days, put their hands in their own pockets and raised more than £13,500, which is still rising.
A member said: “Lockdown will be covering all your previous valiant clearance with brambles and bindweed. Such a shame and must be cleared quickly again afterwards. I do lineside clearance for the local steam railway and know how disheartening the present situation is.”
Covid-19 threatens to undo all the good work and CCT needs to raise enough money to make sure the charity can stay afloat. When lockdown is over and CCT can safely resume activities, it will need money to buy safety equipment, pay the bills and buy fuel.
Anyone who lives in the Stroud area has first-hand experience of how the canal restoration benefits the community and the trust wishes to thank everyone for their ongoing support. Getting back to work gives everyone something to look forward to.
The towpaths have been an issue during lockdown as many people choose to use them as their regular exercise route and in some places they are very narrow.
As each day passes that the volunteers cannot operate, the towpaths will keep getting narrower still so the public are asked for their understanding and patience until lockdown comes to an end.