Buckingham Canal Society stalwart wins national award
A LONG-standing volunteer and trustee of the Buckingham Canal Society has won a major national award.
Athina Beckett received the Christopher Power prize in honour of her contribution to the restoration of an inland waterway. She was nominated by Chris Durham of the Milton Keynes branch of the Inland Waterways Association.
The award was announced by Audrey Smith, chairman of the volunteer awards panel, who said: “I am delighted we have been able to recognise the work and success of such an extraordinary woman.” Buckingham Canal Society also received a £1000 cheque.
Athina, from Milton Keynes, joined the society in 1993 as a volunteer, and further roles soon followed. In 1997 she took on the job of work party leader, a role she continues to hold today and has been particularly successful at encouraging corporate volunteering involvement with the restoration project.
She is also a trustee of the society and an ex-chairman of trustees and through the years has also been a volunteer with the Waterway Recovery Group, getting hands-on involved at a large number of restoration sites.
Buckingham Canal Society is currently working at a number of locations from the junction of the Grand Union Canal at Cosgrove, where the Old Stratford and Buckingham Arm leaves the main canal, through to the town of Buckingham, some 10 miles away, with the objective to restore the canal to its former glory and become navigable again to all forms of water-related commercial, local amenity, tourist and recreational traffic for public benefit.