Headlines for the week ending 30 May

Out and About

Branches

Swindon and Boat Team: Cheque presentation at Waitrose

Rod Bluh, Chairman of WBCT received the cheque from Waitrose Wichelstowe store manager Dan Morehead.

Waitrose has donated £7,000 to WBCT as a contribution towards the installation of the landing stage.

Rod Bluh said: “The Trust is delighted to receive this contribution from Waitrose towards this great facility, which has enhanced the canal side at Waitrose Wichelstowe and has allowed many people who visit the store, to access the canal and discover the pleasures of enjoying the canal environment from our trip boat Dragonfly. We are very grateful to Waitrose for their generous contribution, and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Dragonfly and crew plus Swindon Branch event team were there for the day and kept busy.

NEV Consultation figures in:

Out of the 369 responses sent to SBC, 330 related to the canal and the vast majority of those were from Trust members and supporters.

Fantastic result! Well done everyone.

RWB:  

Good news: 8 cygnets have hatched with our two resident swans as proud parents. 
Suggestions for canal related names for the babies to our facebook page please, and more photos to look at.

MCC: Pewsham HLF Bid

Bid finished and submitted: well done to Val and team! A lot of work, done well and on time.

MCC: Chippenham Folk Festival

Very successful 3 days with stand and Damselfly at this popular event. Many thanks to all who helped including 3 members from F&L Branch. And weren't we lucky with the weather!

WBCT Executive

Strategy and procedures still the focus of much work, including policies and procedures in various Director's portfolios.

Destination Lacock

Results for the funding appeal: 
Total as at 27.05:£32,926 
Keep going:we are getting there!

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

Headlines for the week ending 20 May 2016

Out and About

Branches

Swindon and Boat Team: Cheque presentation at Waitrose

All planned: cheque will be presented by Waitrose to WBCT representative at 11am on Friday 27th with Dragonfly taking centre stage.

Peterborough Arms:

Work continues on the Community Rooms refurbishment. Walls and woodwork now sanded and cleaned, floor made good, and first wall has been plastered. Hope to start on disabled toilet very soon.

RWB:  

5 RWB members attended a Volunteer Fair at RWB library on Wednesday 18th May, held by Cricklade and RWB Area Board. Met some existing members and talked to a number of interested people.

Working party are busy weed cutting from the boat above the Lock at Chaddington. Much more water than last year with the water from Studley Grange, and more vegetation under the water that we need to control.

East Vale:

Event stand at Fawley Park Steam Festival, Henley over the weekend. Many thanks to Sir William and Lady Judy McAlpine for the invitation to exhibit. Great weekend and many thanks to members of East Vale for attending over the three days.

Foxham & Lyneham:

Members helped set up our marquees for Dauntsey Parish Council's "Party in the Rec Ground" and attended to recruit new members.


MCC: Pewsham Top Lock Project

Work started on Top Lock project using Area Board funding. Fund raising for Lock Keepers Cottage is about to start. Look out for Prize Draw tickets in next Dragonfly.

Fund raising race night held on Saturday 21st at Melksham Conservative Club. Fun and excitement had by all!

WBCT Executive

Attended Chiseldon Parish Council Annual Meeting to present the case for the inclusion of the canal in the New Eastern Village development. Packed room and general support for the canal. 

Strategy and procedures still the focus of much work, including project life-cycle document.

Destination Lacock

Results in at end of second week for the funding appeal: 
Total as at 20.05:£31,159 
Over half way there! Well done everyone. 

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

Headlines for the week ending 13th May

Out and About

Branches

Swindon and Boat Team: 

Organising a presentation of a funding cheque from Waitrose at Waitrose landing stage, Wichelstowe for 27th May. Dragonfly will be there entertaining the VIPs

Joint F&L, MCC & RWB Teams:

Plans progressing for the Peterborough Arms BBQ & Exhibition on 18th June. Marquees have been sourced just in case of less than perfect weather. 

RWB:  

More water than usual in canal at Templar's Firs. Railway track just higher up had flooded and the line was closed by Network Rail in the pm. Possible cause, according to Network Rail: flow of run off from nearby new housing. That's what we said would happen:its time LA's listened to us about drainage! Good thing there is a canal to take the water.

Volunteer Fair at RWB library on Wednesday 18th May. 6 pm to 7 pm. RWB Branch talking about Studley Grange Wildlife Trail and looking for volunteers.

East Vale:

Attendance at first event on Saturday at Faringdon. A very busy day with lots of interest about the canal. And lots of positive comments about NEV and the consultation exercise. Pity the consultation wasn't still open! 
Next event: Fawley Park, Henley on 21st & 22nd May. Event organised by our President, Sir William McAlpine and Lady McAlpine. We are looking forward to it. Canals and steam, what's not to like!

MCC: Pewsham Top Lock Project

On-site project meeting held on Sunday May 8th (hot day so under a tree!) and the PID was approved at Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday May 11th. 

Race Night at Melksham Conservative Club 17 Bank Street Melksham, SN12 6LE on Saturday 21st May. Starts at 7.30 pm. Contact Branch for more details.



WBCT Executive

Board of Trustees meeting held on Wednesday 11th May. Lots of hard work getting ready.

Destination Lacock

Results in at end of second week for the funding appeal: £27,642 from 262 donors
Nearly half way there! 
Many thanks for your support so far. 

Melksham Link Consultation

Email request to members asking them to respond to Wiltshire Council and support our revised planning application went out using new email listing. Thank you to all members who updated their email details from recent Dragonfly request. We can tell you about everything that is happening much easier now. 

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

Headlines week ending 6th May

Out and About

Branches

MCC team still working hard on the HLF bid for the Pewsham Locks project. Due in by 1st June. Visit by Keith Falconer, Chairman of Association for Industrial Archaeology, to Pewsham Locks to help assess significance of site. He confirms very rare industrial survival.

Joint F&L, MCC & RWB  Team: busy preparing for the Peterborough Arms Event on 18th June.

East Vale event team to man stand at steam fair and fund raising event at Fawley Park on 21st 22nd May. Event organised by Sir William and Lady McAlpine

MCC Race Night at Melksham Conservative Club 17 Bank Street Melksham, SN12 6LE on Saturday 21st May. Starts at 7.30 pm. Contact Branch for more details.

WBCT Executive

Very busy getting ready for BoT, dealing with PIDs and continuing strategy work. 

Destination Lacock

Results in at end of first week for the funding appeal: £15,579. 
£45,000 still to go! 
Many thanks for your support so far. 

New Eastern Villages Consultation

Many thanks to all those who responded... we gave SBC NEV team, and their email system, a few problems with the number of responses! 
More details later.

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

Headlines for the week ending 29 April

Out and About

WBCT Executive

Very packed agenda at the Executive meeting on Monday with among other matters, 3 PIDs to consider: Moulden Hill in Swindon, Childrey Bridleway Bridge in East Vale and The Easter Towpath Challenge Walk 2017. All were extensively discussed and approved in principle. And all will be back when needed with updates and for further approvals.

Easter Towpath Challenge Walk and Festival 2017

Yes its back...  The PR & Communications team with Tim Pyatt is planning the re-appearance of this favourite event, and alongside it will run a series of Towpath Festivals. Still very early in the planning stage and has a number of hoops to jump through before we can confirm...  but great news!

Dauntsey Lock Canal Centre

Good progress is being made with Phase 1 refurbishment. It's a big space! Worth popping in to see: Monday to Friday 9.30 to 12 am. Ann and Justine are there to welcome you, but it is a work in progress so be prepared for dust!

First planning meeting this week to organise our celebration event on Saturday 18th June. Funders and supporters of the Peterborough Arms will be our guests. More information later.

New WI group opens in Pewsham: Lockside WI

First talk to the new group given by MCC member Alan Lank on WBCT, to celebrate their connection with the canal. Members delighted with talk and commit to ongoing relationship with the Trust.

New Eastern Villages Consultation

Many thanks to all those who have responded... and there are many!

The closing date for responses is Wednesday 4th May so, if you haven't yet responded, please do so tomorrow.

To remind you, our aim is to see the construction of the canal in New Eastern Villages as an enforceable part of the infrastructure development, and that will mean that the canal must be built as part of any built development.

We need you to influence Swindon Borough Council to place the canal at the heart of this development.

You can help us by responding, as an individual, to the online consultation document.
http://www.swindon.gov.uk/easternvillagesconsultation

The more responses SBC receive on this subject, the more likely they are to consider including funding for the canal within the development proposals, as they go through the planning process.

Respond with your individual comments by email to: nev@swindon.gov.uk.
Or by post to: 
Planning Service Swindon Borough Council, Freepost SCE5251
5th Floor, Wat Tyler House Beckhampton Street,  Swindon, SN1 2JG.

What do you need to say?

You need to use your own words but we would like to suggest the following bullet points that you might want to select from:

·         It’s very good to see that the protected canal route has been included
·         The construction of the canal must be included as part of the New  

          Eastern Villages infrastructure
·         The canal should be funded by the developers
·         The canal offers opportunities for flood relief and land drainage
·         The canal offers a wonderful opportunity to make a distinctive character 

          for NEV
·         Working canals in other location have created property uplift, and will

          do here as well

·         A built canal will create recreational and leisure assets and increase 

          peoples well-being
·         A built canal will create wildlife habitat assets, and increase biodiversity

Thank you

Please do look online and respond to the consultation: the closing date is Wednesday 4^th May, so there is not much time left.
And talking to family and friends about this, and asking them to respond as well, would create an even larger impression.

Together we can achieve our goal of restoring the canal, and this is an important way that you have helped. 

Requests

Volunteer Needed For the Boat Group

We are looking for a volunteer to lead on

taking boat bookings

You will be involved in responding to enquiries from the public via

a dedicated mobile phone and messaging system, managing a booking

speadsheet system, and communicating and co-ordinating with the boat

team, especially on the days when the trip boat is running.

This role would be ideal for someone who wants to help, but may not be

local to our canal, as the whole role can be carried out remotely. 

This role could also be role-shared with a friend or colleague.

If you are thinking “hey, this sounds like it would be good for me”

please get in touch with Derek Flexer for more information.

Email:derek.flexer@wbct.org.uk

Mob No: 07753 980 297

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

Headlines for the week ending 15th April

Out and About

WBCT Executive

Directors continue to get out and about meeting the volunteers and recruiting new members. Lots of work on strategic plans. 

Dauntsey Lock Canal Centre

Fantastic progress both inside and out. The original stone walls look wonderful. Well done team!

New Web Site

Web site group about to start rewriting exercise. We are still looking for photos, particularly of people enjoying the canal. Contact Jenny Stratton: jenny.stratton@wbct.org.uk

Melksham Link

Meeting of Melksham Link project team. Agreed response to Wiltshire Council planners. Hopefully will result shortly in a new public consultation on the planning application.

Requests

Volunteer Needed For the Boat Group

We are looking for a volunteer to lead on

taking boat bookings

You will be involved in responding to enquiries from the public via

a dedicated mobile phone and messaging system, managing a booking

speadsheet system, and communicating and co-ordinating with the boat

team, especially on the days when the trip boat is running.

This role would be ideal for someone who wants to help, but may not be

local to our canal, as the whole role can be carried out remotely. 

This role could also be role-shared with a friend or colleague.

If you are thinking “hey, this sounds like it would be good for me”

please get in touch with Derek Flexer for more information.

Email:derek.flexer@wbct.org.uk

Mob No: 07753 980 297

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

Headlines for the week ending 8th April

Out and About

Dauntsey Lock Canal Centre

Volunteer works continue at Peterborough Arms to prepare Community Rooms for opening. Visitors are coming in to see progress. 

WBCT Executive

Directors continue to get out and about meeting the volunteers!
A second packed and constructive Executive meeting with strategy featuring high on the agenda.

Pewsham HLF Funding 

MCC Pewsham Locks bid team met again with the aim to submit application to HLF by June 1st

Boating on the Canal 

Exploratory meeting with Chippenham Sailing Club to look at ‘river access for all ‘project.

Boat Group

nb Dragonfly

Very busy boat bookings using the new landing stage at Waitrose, Wichelstowe.
Great public reaction to these trips and as a consequence we need more admin help: see Requests below. Many thanks to the fantastic skippers and crew who have risen to the challenge of the much busier boat activity.
Charges: £5 for adults £2 for children (2-15 yrs) 
Times: 10:30, 11:45, 1:30 and 2:45 
See web site for more details

Requests

Volunteer Needed

We are looking for a volunteer to lead on taking boat bookings.

You will be involved in responding to enquiries from the public via a dedicated mobile ‘phone and messaging system, managing a booking speadsheet system and communicating and co-ordinating with the boat team, especially on the days when the trip boat is running.

This role would be ideal for someone who wants to help, but may not be local to our canal, as the whole role can be carried out remotely.

If you are thinking “hey, this sounds like it would be good for me” please get in touch with Derek Flexer for more information. This role could also be role-shared.

Derek Flexer: derek.flexer@wbct.org.uk

Dauntsey Lock Canal Centre

Please would volunteers and visitors sign in and sign out. There is a visitors book on the small bar.

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site  new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Follow us on twitter: @wiltsberkscanal, and like us on Facebook: Wilts & Berks Canal Friends

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