Conference Update: Waterways Heritage Conference - “A new vision for Waterways Museums” (May 2012)

I received an invitation to facilitate a workshop at Ellesmere Port on “How can museums meet social needs?” I telephoned Peter and queried “have you got the right person? I don”t know anything about museums.” His re-assurance surely meant they could not get anyone else!

On arrival I was met by an ‘army’ of volunteers – administration, catering, guiding. Some were dressed in period costume but they all wore a smile. This wasn’t a museum it was a vibrant venue to bring history alive. The noticeboard was full of events – “knit and natter” alongside the “Youthy theatre” – bringing young and old together naturally.

The day was again a full packed agenda with a variety of quality speakers but it was not about dusty relics it was about people. How people had brought the museum to life and more importantly how it had transformed peoples lives.

Time for my workshop – ½ hour to find the answer but 29 minutes was spent discussing what we meant by social needs!!

The points raised were consolidated for the feedback but a brief summary was 2 elements: people and story telling. The museum holds so many stories about our past but which are relevant to our future. We need people to tell that story, we need people to bring the story to life, different people have different skills, different abilities but they can all come together for different aspects – I learnt a new phrase of “job slicing”.

The summing up included the comments of “giving people a stake in Society – giving them value.”

Before I left I sneaked around the corner to see the Royal Yacht. How appropriate that The Queens accomadation whilst she toured some of the North East waterfronts, which demonstrate how the waterways are breathing economic and social development into some of our more disadvantaged towns and cities, should be moored here reinforcing our vision for the future – people are important.

A tiring but rewarding day. 

Conference Update: NCBA AGM (March 2012)

This is the third year of holding a conference in the capital as it was felt important to position the organisation as a key stakeholder within the Waterways and be accessable to other major stakeholders and political allies.

The setting of the Union Jack club put us within striking distance of Westminster and the River Thames and its magnificent interior evoked images of a bygone age of British spirit. The photographs and models reminding me of the sacrifice of our countrymen but the group coming through the door showing that sacrifice was still being met by our current generation.

The day was filled with a range of speakers with projects speaking of how they were meeting current needs of the community –“respite care for Armed Services” to “Partnership working” to the key topic of “sustainability”. These presentations were complemented by Alun Michael M.P. (Chair of the All Parliamentary Waterways Group) and John Bridgeman (Vice chair of British Waterways Board and transitional trustee of Canal and River Trust). We were able to demonstrate how the work of Community Boat Organisations bring so much value and benefit to individuals but should be a valuable and valued partner to the emerging Trust.

It raised  questions of “are we remote from the membership?’  - “you are doing so much but you don’t  tell members” but brought an enthusaiasm from the floor for individual projects to work closer together, share knowledge and resources.

I spoke later with John who commented “ You are doing a fantastic job – its not about the boat it’s what you do with that boat. It’s about people.”

At the End of the Conference Day London NCBA

Conference Update: IWA /CRT waterways volunteering conference (Feb 2012)

A major event within the waterways world is the transition of British Waterways into the third sector. A real example of the ‘Big Society’ restoring this National treasure into the custody of the Nation. A joint conference had been orgainsed by the Inland Waterways Association and the emerging Canal and River Trust. Invitations had been extended to waterways organisations. The canal side was brought to life on a cold February morning by over 150 waterways interested enthusiasts. We had been asked to provide an ‘image’ and a short paragraph explaining what that image meant to us (see image and text below). The photographs were proudly displayed around the conference centre and demonstrated decades of fighting – either nature or beaucroacy - to restore the waterways.

The start of a highly organized day commenced with the workshops breaking out to study the photographs and choose one image. I was struck by the fact that a lot were of structures some brought to life by people but very few featured a boat!” The intensity of the day did not slacken but whilst we all came from a different start point we all shared a common destination – the recognition and importance of the waterways – but people are at its heart.

The day was summed up by Lynne Berry, a transitional trustee of the new charity. -“The canals were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and now they are at the start of a Social Revolution” When I get home and my family ask “what have you done to-day?”  I will be able to tell “We had a cup of tea, we nattered and we started a revolution.”
 

More Than Just a Boat - this is the image and text (below) that we shared and discussed at the conference

More than just a boat

The waterways corridor is the gateway and the boat the key that unlocks the door allowing a variety of people to enter into a world, which has always been there - but they have never experienced.

The pace of the journey introduces the individual to landscapes, vegetation, wildlife, heritage, architecture and creativity whilst enabling communication with each other and nature.

It is used as a means to improve interaction between generations, cultures and communities acting as a catalyst for personal development.