British Waterways gets the boaters' view
During the week with a narrowboat donated by Shire Cruisers, British Waterways people from its North East regional team took to the water in order to get a customer eye view of the waterways under its care.
Stanley Ferry
They cruised along the Calder & Hebble and Aire & Calder navigations of Yorkshire, starting from Sowerby Bridge on Tuesday, taking in Shepley Bridge to Stanley Ferry, (pictured) and returning yesterday, Friday.
Jon Horsfall, Waterway Manager for British Waterways North East region comments:
Listening and responding
"I am committed to listening and responding to the views of our customers and therefore it's essential that we all understand issues at first hand so that we can respond appropriately.
"I've been here for little over six months now and have been able to get out and about on many of the canals and rivers in our care. I have met with boaters, walkers, cyclists and anglers who use them every day. To experience this first hand is valuable experience for all the North East team members involved.
"I hope this exercise benefits our waterway customers as an essential part of my team's job is to understand the issues that our customers face, as well as appreciating the things we do well.
This exercise has been carried out in the middle of British Waterways' annual User Group meetings, where boating and leisure customers are invited to meet with staff to explore and discuss their particular needs.