Along with virtually every other canal society in the UK, we run trip boats because…..
- It’s a means of engaging with our community about the canal. It gives us an opportunity to show how beautiful it is, and to explain its important history and ecology. Our aim is to leave passengers with a positive view of our local waterway and our aims.
- The boats function as floating classrooms enabling school classes to experience an enjoyable time on the waterway whilst learning about its history and environment. The courses are often linked to the national curriculum. Our aim is to leave pupils with a long-lasting positive view of the canal and its environment.
- The boats provide an opportunity for local people to volunteer to help run and maintain them. It gives them the opportunity to engage with others and make new friends, undertake a worthwhile function and obtain boat handling qualifications. This contributes to the health and well-being of our community.
- We run our boats on a non-profit-making basis, with any monies over-and-above running costs being used to further our charitable objectives, so it’s a way of earning money to invest in the canal and its restoration.
- We can provide a means for the disabled passengers in our community to enjoy the waterway, as our larger boat, Lord Raglan, has two dedicated wheelchair spaces, a wheelchair lift and disabled friendly toilet.
- We can offer trips to disadvantaged groups in our community, who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to experience a canal boat trip on our beautiful canal.
