Wey & Arun Canal Trust secures lottery funding after losses due to coronavirus

THE Wey & Arun Canal Trust has been awarded £13,100 of National Lottery support in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on heritage charities’ income.

The funds will be used to repair the leaks in sections of canal bed at Long Meadow, Drungewick, West Sussex, along with paying for the necessary equipment needed to make both the Canal Centre and boat trips at the Loxwood Wharf Covid-safe.

£50m made available

The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund.  Some £50m has been made available to provide emergency funding across the heritage sector.

Trust chairman Sally Schupke tells:

“Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we can now push on with completing the repairs at Long Meadow. We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time—it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.

"The investment in PPE and safety screens has also meant passengers and crew can be confident they are safe when enjoying one of our boat trips this autumn."

Canal drained

The canal at Long Meadow was drained late last year and a local specialist environmental consultancy was employed to move the thousands of fish living there to other parts of the canal.  Since then investigations have been underway to locate the leaks—found to be in four separate sections—and quotes are being sought for relining.

The project has also involved de-silting the canal and resurfacing 600m of towpath, along with erecting 650 metres of fencing.