I recently went out with the Towpath Taskforce team in Stockton (in the constituency), meeting staff and volunteers who work hard to maintain our waterways. The Canal and River Trust is a charity that looks after the 2,000-mile long ‘green-blue ribbon’ across England and Wales. This includes championing the use and enjoyment of the waterways, and ensuring that 2,980 bridges, 1,580 locks and 335 aqueducts are open for use every day. The Trust was the recipient of over 540,000 volunteering hours in 2017, which is hugely impressive.
‘Towpath Taskforces’ are teams of Trust volunteers that meet on a regular basis to care for and maintain their local canal or river. Tasks can include lock-painting, hedge-planting, repairing towpaths, cutting back vegetation and litter-clearance. If you might be interested in joining you can find out more at:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteer/ways-to-volunteer/towpath-taskforce