CaRT's progress
Published: Monday, 26 September 2016
CANAL & River Trust held its Annual Public Meeting where over 80 guests came from around the country to hear about the charity's progress over the past year and its plans and ambitions for the future.
Held last Thursday (22nd), Chairman Allan Leighton, welcomed the guests prior to the Chief Executive Richard Parry giving an overview of the Trust's achievements during the financial year 2015/16. These included an increase in expenditure on the waterways and a growth in the number of people donating to the Trust and visiting, volunteering, adopting stretches of its waterways, and future ambitions.
Maintenance
The guests then heard the Director of Asset Management, Julie Sharman, give a presentation on the way the charity manages the maintenance of its network of locks, bridges, embankments, aqueducts, other assets and its priorities.
After the presentations the questions from the guests taken by the managers included various topics ranging from residential boating and support for vulnerable boaters, to the control of invasive hogweed, and the role visitors might play in helping the Trust's asset inspection teams.
Progress
Of the meeting, Allan Leighton, Chairman of the Canal & River Trust, commented:
"I'm pleased to see the progress that has been made at the Trust this year and I think the results speak for themselves. The number of people volunteering and donating has continued to grow, as have the partnerships formed with organisations as diverse as the Arts Councils in England and Wales, The Scout Association, Help for Heroes and Rolls Royce, plus numerous local authorities, charitable trusts and local canal societies.
"As we look to the future we're continuing to grow our influence and engage with more people so that the waterways are on a firm foundation for future generations to enjoy.
"I'd like to welcome our new Trustees whose experience and calibre is a strong endorsement for what the Trust has achieved in a short space of time. They bring new and wide-ranging experience and perspectives that will help inform decisions on policy and strategy as well as oversight of the executive directors.
"I'm sure that our supporters, partners and customers appreciate the achievements we've made as a young and growing charity. It was good to see so many faces in the audience today and I'm heartened that we have such a passionate group of people showing an interest in, and demonstrating their care for, our waterways."