Community canal boat needs volunteers
ELECTRA, the accessible, all-electric community canal boat, run by volunteers needs more.
Run by the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust, it already has 49 volunteers, but more are needed as demand for cruises has doubled since the boat was launched in 2021.
Friendly bunch
Volunteer Chair, Denise Taylor, explained:
“Electra volunteers are a friendly bunch who work as one big team, creating and delivering a range of enjoyable cruises on the Grand Union Canal. Some people crew the boat, others work behind the scenes to get everything ready, and some people do a bit of both!
“We are recruiting now for Cabin Hosts, to welcome and chat with guests and serve a range of food and drinks from the on-board Galley Bar.” Added Sue Morrison, Lead Cabin Host.
Informal interviews will be held in April and training in May/June, ready for crewing from July.
Shore-based vacancies
There are also shore-based vacancies in Customer Liaison, Social Media, Marketing, Outreach, Fundraising and Project Management—great opportunities to learn new skills in a friendly, supportive team.
Lindsey Patraiko, Volunteer Social Media Manager, agreed:
“I volunteered because it was unique and exciting, and I wanted to enhance and develop my social media skills and use my creativity. If you haven’t got a lot of time, there are also a number of short tasks that can be quickly completed.”
Volunteer Coordinator, Gill Kirkup, who also volunteers as a cabin host, remarked:
First port of call
“I’m the first port of call for anyone interested in volunteering for Electra and really enjoy meeting new people and finding out about their interests.”
Milton Keynes claims to have a higher number of volunteers per head of population than any other UK city, with 84,500 citizens regularly volunteering.
Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to visit Electra’s website https://www.bmkwaterway.org/electra/volunteering/ or email the team on