Lock keepers for unused canal!

THE Canal & River Trust is surpassing itself in it sheer stupidity—it is asking for volunteer lock keepers for a Cornish waterway that powered boats cannot access!

The Trust has launched a media campaign to recruit volunteer lock keepers that has resulted in much coverage on local radio and television, writes Allan Richards.

A spokesperson for the Trust has confirmed that several staff and volunteers have been involved and its national volunteering manager, Ed Moss, has given interviews for no less than ten local radio stations, including Radio Cornwall.

Bude canal

Readers might be surprised to know that Cornwall actually does have a canal with working locks. It's the Bude Canal. Unfortunately, access is via a little used sea lock and with a lowered bridge preventing onward navigation to its other locks. Indeed, in three visits in recent years no powered craft have been seen above the lowered road bridge.

Not much work there for volunteer lock keepers!

.... and, of course, Ed would have to obtain permission to use his volunteer lock keepers because the Trust is not the navigation authority for the Bude Canal.

96% would return

Leaving aside that the Trust is appealing for volunteer lock keepers in a part of the country where it has no canals or rivers, perhaps we should consider why the Trust needs to put such so much time and effort into recruitment.

A year ago, Marketing and Fundraising Director, Simon Salem, told trustees that 96% of volunteer lock keepers had indicated that they intended to return the following year with 78% saying that they intended to continue volunteering over the winter period.

Numbers down?

However, last year many boaters have reported unmanned lock flights where they would have expected volunteers to be present.

Some credibility has been given to this with the latest volunteering figures produced by the Trust. These showed volunteering down on the targets that the Trust set itself. Indeed, an investigation was initiated to find out why.

Perhaps the big recruitment drive is one of the outcomes of this investigation.

.... and perhaps CaRT don't mind having Cornish Volunteer Lock Keepers with no locks as long as it makes the figures look good!