Wilts & Berks Canal Trust seeking voluntary engineers
THE WILT & BERKS Canal Trust (WBCT) is seeking voluntary engineers in a variety of roles to help with its restoration.
These being for both large and small projects, Janet Friend reports.
It was in 1977 that a group of enthusiasts formed to see if it could be restored and this was formalised as the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust in 1997, with work progressing in various parts.
Voluntary engineers
The trust is now seeking voluntary engineers on projects that will help restore the canal and tells will bring social and economic prosperity to the surrounding areas.
The canal runs from Melksham in Wiltshire north eastwards past Swindon to Abingdon. After being formally abandoned the land was returned to landowners and councils, with around 200 different owners now having parts.
Currently it has around five miles in water and 15 miles of towpath under its management that includes 30 locks and many bridges.
At present it has four major capital engineering projects and around 50 smaller projects that it is looking to complete by 2050, but it needs help.
The organisation has around 300 active volunteers and 2,500 members but needs engineers.
The posts
Engineering Director: Responsible for all the trust’s engineering and planning activity together with providing advice and input to the senior executive team and the Trustee Council.
Branch Lead Engineers: These volunteer civil engineer posts lead the engineering activity on particular lengths of the canal.
The lengths of canal cover activity in and around Melksham, Chippenham and Calne; Royal Wootton Bassett; Swindon; West Vale and East Vale.