foreword

Foreword from interim CEO Jonathan Smith

As the new (interim) CEO of IWA, I thought it might be appropriate for members to know a little more about me, my background and my vision for IWA.

I think it’s fair to say that waterways are in my blood: my great-grandfather was a lockkeeper on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, my parents had a boat on the waterways before I was born, and were active on the restoration scheme for the Yorkshire Derwent before moving to Lancashire and becoming active in IWA.

I grew up boating, helping at rallies and on the North Lancs & Cumbria IWA branch stand. My whole family has been, and still is, involved in waterways, IWA and WRG. I joined IWA in 1989 when I graduated and have served on branch committees. In 1991, I was the site director for the National Festival at Windmill End, and kept my involvement with festivals right through to the 2013 event at Watford as either a WRG volunteer or on the site team.

I was active in WRG, part of the Canal Camps Logistics Team, and also in 1991 I was asked to become a member of the WRG Board, a position I hold to this day. I have served as an IWA trustee for a total of 11 years and while a trustee I was a member (at various times) of most national committees, including being national treasurer for two years, so I like to think I have a broad understanding of IWA.

In my work life I ran a small business that managed healthcare projects in developing countries. I retired last year and had planned to spend some time relaxing after 15 years of globetrotting, until I was asked to take on the role of CEO at IWA.

So what do I think IWA’s purpose and priorities should be? We are the only independent national charity dedicated to campaigning for all Britain’s canals and rivers, but what does that really mean, and what sets us apart from other charities?

I believe that IWA campaigns for the greater good of the waterways in a way that no other body can do. We are not a navigation authority, we are not a single-interest user group and we are not focussed

Only IWA does this

Essex Waterways

IWA set up Essex Waterways Ltd in 2005 to take over the management of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation to prevent the waterways from closing. Today, with the hard work of IWA volunteers, it is a thriving successful sustainable navigation able to fund itself.

Restoration Hub

Developed in 2017, the Restoration Hub pulled together all of IWA’s expertise in waterway restoration into a single co-ordinated and easily accessible team. It includes:

•Waterway Recovery Group

WRG is funded solely by IWA. Many of WRG’s volunteers are longterm active IWA members. WRG provides invaluable support to restoration around the country, both in terms of manpower through canal camps and weekend working groups, but also in terms of technical skills and advice.

•Annual Restoration Conference

This is the annual event where all the restoration groups in the UK get the opportunity to come together to share insights and experiences.

•Restoration Handbooks

Since 1996, these have been the go-to documents covering the practicalities, technicalities and legalities of waterway restoration.

•Health and Safety

IWA and WRG take the lead on Health & Safety planning on restoration and share best practice throughout the sector.

•Plant and Driver Authorisation and Insurance

WRG developed the scheme as a response to insurers’ requirement that all drivers and plant operators were properly trained, assessed and authorised.

•Restoration High level Panel

Brings together experts in all areas of restoration to consider the wider issues affecting waterway restoration as a whole.

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Admission

IWA Festival of Water 2022

27th TO 29th AUGUST

Join us at the IWA Festival of Water on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Burton-Upon-Trent for a bank holiday weekend of fun for all who love spending time on or by the water.

01635 414 567 event.enquiries@waterways.org.uk

waterways.org.uk/festivalofwater

A fAmily involved – l-R: Jonathan Smith (CEO), Mike

Palmer (WRG Chair and no relation), Riannon Smith (daughter and WRG Volunteer), Audrey Smith OBE (mother, Vice President IWA and former National Chair), Gillian Smith (sister and former IWA Trustee).

on any one restoration project. We are experienced, knowledgeable and successful in all of these areas and we offer help and assistance and campaign for the waterways to be better place. But what does that mean in practice, what are IWA’s unique selling points? The box (right) lists some of the things we do.

This is, of course, just a small selection of the work that IWA does. By number, the largest group of IWA campaigners are the active teams in branches and regions, and then there are other national groups such as the Inland Waterways Freight Group, Sustainable Boating Group, Navigation Committee, the teams running Canalway Cavalcade and the Festival of Water and IWA’s shows team. My apologies to all those I have not mentioned – the diversity and breadth of volunteering are IWA’s greatest strengths.

One last mention though must go to our report Waterways for Today, due out as you read this, which brings together evidence about why the ongoing maintenance and regeneration of navigable waterways is critical with 12 key benefits being identified. I’m sure this will be the go-to reference document about the importance of navigable waterways for many years to come.

I hope you’ll agree with me that no other organisation does what IWA does. Yes, some do some parts of what we do, but what makes IWA unique is that only IWA can do all that we do, only IWA has that unique national position and voice.

We also need to be realistic – we are a relatively small charity, membership numbers have been falling slowly for many years, with a consequent reduction in income, and people generally have less time to volunteer than in the past. That means there are some key issues facing IWA operationally. Membership rates have not changed in 10 years (they were rationalised in 2019 but that did not affect overall income) and that is not sustainable, so they will need to increase next year.

The burden of regulation (whether that be Health & Safety, or the Charity Commission or insurancerelated or fundraising or data protection) is ever increasing and requires resources to manage. One of my roles as CEO is to balance these conflicting requirements. We may have to make some hard choices about what we can do and what we cannot, but rest assured, I believe in IWA, I believe in the need for IWA and I believe in the future of IWA because only IWA can provide so many essential services that the waterways need.

Insurance

IWA arranges insurance for its non-profit-making corporate members at advantageous terms and provides advice and guidance on a wide range of issues associated with insurance as well as assisting with claims. That the majority of IWA’s non-profit-making corporate members have opted into this arrangement and renew year after year indicates the value of this service. The restoration sector in particular would find it hard to get similar cover elsewhere, probably at anywhere near a similar price.

Heritage Advisory Panel

IWA formed the panel in 2019 co-ordinating our volunteers with impressive heritage knowledge and experience. The panel provides advice and guidance on heritage matters. It works to ensure that waterway heritage is understood and appreciated within Government, navigation authorities and other agencies. It also works with IWA branches to identify heritage buildings, structures and artefacts which are at risk of being lost.

Planning Advisory Panel

Supports a wide range of planning matters affecting the waterways and their management and restoration including development plans, neighbourhood plans, planning applications and planning appeals and also national planning policy, major infrastructure projects and conservation designations – or just provide an opinion on whether planning permission is required. It is available to IWA branches, other waterway groups and members with any non-routine and strategic planning problems and issues affecting the waterways.

Honorary Consultant Engineers

For many years IWA’s honorary consultant engineers have provided their services to IWA branches and waterway restoration groups across the UK, assisting in designing and commenting upon designs for restoration works and addressing technical navigation issues for the smaller navigation authorities.

All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways

IWA provides the secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways (APPGW). All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal cross-party groups which cover a wide range of subjects. IWA provides the administrative support for the APPGW, with the Group being made up of MPs and peers with an interest in the inland waterways. This gives IWA a unique insight into the decision-making process affecting the waterways. Four stakeholder meetings a year are held on a wide range of subjects including freight, sustainable boating, heritage, restoration and waterway funding.

IWA Certificate of Boat Management

IWA’s Certificate of Boat Management provides a training scheme recognised by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency for the operation of small passenger boats that can be set up and rolled out for training skippers at minimal cost, and thus avoids the substantial training costs of other recognised scheme providers.