Refugee volunteer group helps with Kennet & Avon makeover
A SWING bridge and lock on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Newbury have received a makeover thanks to a group of refugees who are volunteering with the Canal & River Trust.
Refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and El Salvador have been working with the trust and the existing volunteer towpath taskforce to transform the appearance of Bull’s Swing Bridge and Bull’s Lock, which are situated on the canal between Newbury and Thatcham. Having made excellent progress painting the bridge and lock, the group are now set to move on to revamping a nearby footbridge.
The opportunity for the refugees to join the vast network of volunteers, who give their time across the CRT network, came from a suggestion from volunteer Karen Reeve who is also a lead co-ordinator with the West Berkshire Action for Refugees – a group in the local area who are providing support for the refugees who first moved to the UK at the start of 2022.
Not only are their voluntary efforts helping to improve this part of the Kennet & Avon Canal but volunteering with the trust is providing group members with an opportunity to get active in the local community while learning new skills and developing their use of the English language. They have been registered as Level One volunteers and have participated in water safety training before undertaking their voluntary tasks.
Caroline Kendall , community engagement manager for the Wales & South West region, said: “Keeping the canal in an excellent condition is an important part of our work and to have this group of participants being keen to help in the local community, build their confidence in a new environment and learn new skills along the way is wonderful to see.”
Rob Coles, area operations manager for the east section of the Kennet & Avon Canal, added: “The group has done a fantastic job of refreshing Bull’s Swing Bridge and Bull’s Lock on a lovely section of the Kennet & Avon Canal. We are looking forward to them continuing to contribute to some other exciting improvement works along the waterway.”