The Value of Community Boating

Image courtesy of Yvonne Roberts, captured during the Multi-Story Water Project

I have had an extremely busy week and one of the highlights must be the NCBA AGM. This was the culmination of some hard work by a small dedicated group of people which was designed to showcase the value of community boating, generate discussion about the future and build on the successful conferences of the past.

We responded to comments that for the previous three years the conference had been held in the South. We therefore tried to make it more accessible to our Northern members and through profiling the potential of the waterways for community benefit to the non-boating sector, extend its appeal.

It was encouraging that the conference venue had been set for 100 delegates and in the morning sessions there were very few empty seats. This led to some very inspiring presentations and generated much thought for the future. It also generated conversations with boat members which constantly reinforce my belief in the value of community boating, but we keep it a closely guarded secret.

I have heard golden nuggets of stories about the effect of a single boat trip and how this has led to life changing events for both individuals and also families. I have heard how the commitment of a small, dedicated group of volunteers provide boat trips to some of our most physically challenged individuals providing respite for both them and their carers. I have particularly been struck by the number of stories involving the Olympics and how our members have been involved in activities, such as, torch carrying to more lasting involvement. I have not yet found anybody who has benefited from the Legacy which was indicated to the NCBA way back in time, however!!!

This weekend I went to the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port and as always I was struck by the commitment and enthusiasm of volunteers in preparing for the forthcoming events of the season. No more so was this so clearly demonstrated by talking to “the youngest volunteer” on the board of the Wirral Community Narrowboat Association. He was able to show me their first boat, now sold and in private ownership, to their most recent acquisition “an all singing-all dancing” boat equipped to enable access for the physically disabled. He showed me an instrument, which enabled limbless clients to drive by using their nose!! 

Simon demonstrates how to control a boat with his nose

 Most importantly he was able to demonstrate how their organisation is responding to the potential use in supporting members of our Armed services, following their action around the World. The disturbing fact is that he is 69 years of age and was reflecting the concern so often said as to how do we involve young people.

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Looking across the stern of our latest boat to "Over The Rainbow" which is in the very distance

The Log Book to record the contribution of community boating

We came away from there with another boat for Canal Connections, which will carry on providing community benefit, but more importantly we came away with a need to find a way to engage young people in the future of community boating.

Image courtesy of Yvonne Roberts, captured during the Multi-Story Water Project

 

Barriers

Image courtesy of Yvonne Roberts, Artist In Residence

Another full day but not a boat in sight. We are not even on the water, but that very subject is central to everything we talk about.

A meeting with the Environment Agency caused amusement within the school as the subject was salmon ladders. The conversation was opened with me expressing my desire to get salmon along the River Aire as far as Skipton. The salmon can get as far as Thwaite Mills but they face barriers – the weirs have to have fish passes. 

  

You may be thinking: “What does that have to do with Canal Connections?”

We quickly established the relevance. The River Aire flows through the centre of Leeds and there is an abundance of opportunity for it to be a training ground for the development of so many skills to suit all abilities and interests, a leisure opportunity, plus it presents a connection to commercial, heritage and nature centres. It travels close to communities whose residents face many challenges in their everyday lives and in order for people to appreciate its value to them, they have to understand its relevance and it has to bring ‘added value’ into their lives. The conversation was very much about this.

 

The day finished with a seminar at the Lifelong Learning Centre at Leeds University. The subject was ‘Positive approaches to supporting families’. The speakers gave very clear and disturbing facts and case studies about the issues that people face in their every day lives. Sylvia showed how the words we use hide some harrowing facts. “Young Carers” brings the media image of young people as ‘little hero’s’. This may be true but it softens the issues and impacts on their life. A ‘dodgy maths’ formula showed how in reality they were actually contributing over £10million in social benefit. The actual cost of caring shows itself in poor educational outcomes, poor emotional health outcomes and poor family outcomes, often demonstrated through low self esteem, lack of self confidence and social isolation. 

This is nothing to do with water so what is it to do with Canal Connections?

The seminar was all about working with families as a whole and I raised the awareness of the under realised asset in the centre of Leeds – The waterway. A community boat provides an opportunity to explore innovative ways to work for social benefit – important in these times of economic recession.

Canal Connections cannot provide the answer but we want to be a part of the solution. We want to show through examples from across the country how we can make more use of assets within our midst.

Image courtesy of Yvonne Roberts, Artist In Residence

It was certainly a thought provoking day but hopefully we will open some of the barriers too.

Canal Connections Conference

The Boat Office

 Two days of working out of the ‘boat office’; introducing people to this wonderful resource on their doorstep. Very few having actually experienced the waterways, some not even realising it was so close to their communities.

The first trip was an interesting mix of people business and educational settings, showing them the countryside in the heart of the city. One of the teachers stated that he usually takes trips to the dales but here he could save time and money but still do similar activities. The business people were looking at underused properties adjacent to the navigation, linking that to education and employment.

The discussion finished with the business people asking ‘What can we do for you?” and refreshingly seeing a potential partnership for mutual benefit rather than a cap in hand for cash.

 Day 2 was entirely different. The JDI club being held on the boat and not in Moyes. The first comment from a member of the group was, “I work with young people so I look at the risks of being close to water.” The comment being reinforced by the sight and sound of the River Aire in flood going over the weir. Another member stated that you have to look at risk benefits - assessing and managing the risk and balancing that against the benefits from the activity.

The trip finished with a variety of comments but they all saw how their clients would benefit from this wonderful resource on their doorstep.


Housing: “We have young warden groups. This could bring the team together and reward them for their behavior.”

Family intervention: “What a wonderful way to get members of the family working and learning together.”

Group leaders: one working with women and the other with men but both seeing how they could link into breaking social isolation, a calming environment and the other relating it back to risk taking.


Others saw how they could link it into event management, community cohesion, inter faith and binding it all together through creative arts. Experienced practitioners alongside trainee youth workers. All this in the space of 20 minutes on a boat!!!!!

Get Out And About

Fearns Wharf

I have spent today at Fearns Wharf. The scene is beautiful but bleak. Not just because of the weather but because this is a valuable asset operating at well below its potential. 

How do we use lessons learnt elsewhere to ensure that the waterways support the social and economic recovery within our cities?

The wealth of experience within the Partnership Board is evident when they look at the region from the Tees to South Yorkshire, examining the significant issues and barriers, but also exploring the opportunities and big ideas for increasing use and engagement. We have to balance the tensions created between managing the current assets whilst looking to the future. 

On a personal level, this left me thinking:  

How does Canal Connections demonstrate that the importance of our work through the waterways is not just about the well being of the waterways but that it is also about creating vitality for the benefit of people, the majority of whom face personal challenges in their everyday lives.

How do we manage the current assets whilst looking to the future?

How do we manage aspiration? 

Reflections: DYCA Santa Cruises!

The highlight of last year was the DYCA Santa Cruises. 

We provided 12 families with a canal experience culminating in a trip to Santa's Grotto to receive their present. They were escorted by young ambassadors (from the very first day of the Horse Boat Project). Performing Arts students dressed in a 1940’s theme to show what it would have been like in the war at Christmas. I am delighted to say that these students are now wanting to do more on the waterways.

Volunteers staffed the boats, moorers set up the grotto, cakes were baked and refreshments provided for the guests. Most rewarding was the comments, not just from the children but from the adults too:

A support worker, through her emotional tears said, “He does not engage, but here he is loving the canal and smiling for a camera!”

A moorer said, “I have been on the canal for 9 years and this is the most wonderful community – I want to be involved.”

Museum Staff, “This is brilliant – to transform a shed into a grotto!”

Volunteers, “We should be doing this all year round!”

School staff, “This is the best grotto I have ever seen!”

Family support worker, "What a brilliant site – we could do so much here.”