Canal Camps Brochure 2016

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Canal CampS Canal Restoration Working Holidays

Volunteer 2016 Get outdoors and dirty!

waterway recovery group

Canal camps 2016 Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) working holidays, called ‘Canal Camps,’ are a great experience for anyone who loves being outdoors and enjoys meeting new people from different backgrounds and of different ages.

Our Camps also offer you a fantastic chance to learn new skills such as bricklaying, stone walling, machine operation and restoration techniques, whilst exploring amazing parts of Britain’s industrial heritage.

© Photo by Ralph Mills

Give a little, get a lot! … as a WRG volunteer you will: Meet new people and make life long friends.

Be part of a friendly & diverse team.

Learn new practical skills.

Gain valuable work-related experience.

Help restore our industrial heritage … and maybe get a little muddy!

Why Restore Canals?

In the 19th century, ‘railway mania’ replaced the ‘canal mania’ years and investment in canals reduced. In the 1930s, freight carrying on all but a few waterways was ending and many waterways were abandoned or filled in.

Luckily, by the 1940s a few visionaries realised that canals had a future for pleasure boating, recreation and industrial archaeology, leading to the foundation of The Inland Waterways Association in 1946. Since then, hundreds of miles of canal and river navigations have

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been saved from dereliction. Today, Britain’s network of canals and inland waterways are a huge linear national park - a leisure park, a vital wildlife sanctuary, an important industrial heritage network and an environment-friendly transport system all rolled into one.

But there are still many more miles of derelict waterways that can be restored for all to enjoy and that’s where we need your help!

Just add volunteers WRG volunteers have been restoring canals since the 1960s. Canal Camps often act as a catalyst to a canal restoration project making significant progress in just one week. In the summer of 2015 WRG volunteers spent 2,400 volunteer days restoring the canals of England and Wales.

WRG attracts a wide range of people, from young volunteers taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme; to waterway enthusiasts who wish to make a contribution to restoring and preserving the system; to teachers, engineers, construction workers and administrators... basically anyone who just wants to have fun! Whether you are a complete beginner or have tried your hand at canal restoration before, you will be guided through every task by the Canal Camp leader and assistant.

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Working together WRG volunteers can achieve great things such as building a canal basin and new section of canal, restoring a flight of locks, removing tonnes of rubbish from a canal or even rebuilding a bridge!

See what difference volunteers can make...

The camaraderie amongst the group was brilliant, everyone mucking in together and working hard. The sense of achievement at the end of the week was amazing.

Judi, 2015 volunteer

”

Griffin Mill, Cotswold canals Before

© Photo by Mike Gallagher

After

© Photo by Mike Gallagher

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tell me more Each CAnal camp costs £63... what’s included?

Food Each day there will be a cooked breakfast, lunch on site and a substantial home cooked evening meal… along with plenty of tea and cake!

Accommodation Most accommodation is in village halls, sports clubs or similar. Although it doesn’t usually include beds, you can expect electricity, toilets and dry, draught-free sleeping areas! Access to a hot shower will be provided at the end of each working day.

Transport If you arrive by train or bus we will pick you up from the nearest station in one of our big red minibuses. We also provide travel between the accommodation and site.

Kit List

You’ll be sent a full list of what to bring, the essentials being… sleeping bag & camping mat (or airbed), pillow, waterproofs, old clothes, and safety footwear. We will supply any other safety equipment required, including a hard hat.

© Photo by Ralph Mills

D OF E AWARD

A Canal Camp is a great way to complete your residential section of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. All volunteers participating in the Award are asked to attend the Camp for the full seven days.

Free Time

Evenings are free to socialise with your fellow campers. Your Canal Camp leader will organise activities such as skittles, boat trips or visits to the local pub. Don’t forget to bring some extra money if you want to join in.

age limits

Our Canal Camp working holidays are open to anyone aged 18 and above.

Volunteer Now It’s easy to book onto one of our Canal Camps!

Book online www.wrg.org.uk Call 01494 783 453 ext. 604 Use the booking form at the back of this brochure. facebook.com/waterwayrecoverygroup

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@wrg_navvies

Sites for 2016 south west & Wales

Cotswold Canals Thames and Severn Canal and Stroudwater Navigation (collectively known as the Cotswold Canals) once linked the Thames to the Severn, through the Cotswold Hills. Although the canal closed over fifty years ago, the waterways are still part of the landscape with many sections still visible today in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. WRG volunteers have given extensive support to Phase 1a of the Cotswold Canals restoration project, from Stonehouse to

Brimscombe. The completion of this restoration work is a critical precursor for the Heritage Lottery bid to connect the restored lengths of the Cotswold Canals to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and access to the main UK canal network. As well as supporting restoration efforts on the western end of the canal, WRG are taking the lead on the restoration of Inglesham Lock at the eastern end of the canal, where it meets the Thames.

This year WRG will be working on three different sites.

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Inglesham Lock Location: Lechlade (Cotswolds) Activities: Demolition and lock restoration In 2015 it was all about the mud! Volunteers spent 10 days clearing the lock chamber of mud, glass and other debris to allow for a full survey of the lock chamber to be undertaken.

In 2016 volunteers will clear the remaining silt and start repointing the lower chamber walls. Once this work has been completed, scaffolding will be installed and the demolition work can start, with volunteers removing damaged brickwork, vegetation and some very large tree roots! These will be busy fun-filled camps, and you will see lots of progress each week!

Dates: 11th-18th June 18th-25th June 25th June-2nd July 27th August-3rd September 3rd-10th September 10th-17th September

£63

Weymoor Bridge Location: Latton (Cotswolds) Activities: Bridge restoration Over Easter WRG volunteers will be working on the restoration of Weymoor Bridge, at the junction of the North Wilts Canal at Latton Basin. The aim of the two Canal Camps is to help rebuild the bridge arch and, if time allows, start working to rebuild the parapets and wing walls.

Dates: 26th March-2nd April 2nd-9th April

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£63

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Bowbridge Lock and Wallbridge Lower Lock Location: Stroud (Cotswolds) Activities: Demolition and lock restoration Last years big volunteer effort saw Bowbridge Lock restored and fitted with new gates. This year our attention switches to rebuilding the walls between the lock and the bridge, as well as completing the towpath and landscaping the surrounding area. WRG volunteers will also help with restoration work at Wallbridge Lower Lock replacing coping stones, building a retaining wall and cutting out a new lock ladder recess.

This work will help bring the boats back to the canal in just a few years time!

Dates: 23rd-30th July 30th July-6th August

£63

Monmouthshire Canal Location: South Wales Activities: Heritage construction skills Over 30 miles of the ‘Mon and Brec’ have been reopened but it is hoped that the 50 mile link between the Brecon Beacons National Park and South Wales Valleys will eventually be restored.

WRG volunteers have supported the Mon and Brec Canals Regeneration Partnership’s ‘Waterworks’ Project for many years. The Project aims to restore the Ty Coch Lock Flight, creating a resource for the local community and visitors to Cwmbran. Help us bring this 200 year old waterway back to life!

This summer volunteers will have the opportunity to get involved in the restoration of a lock chamber using traditional heritage techniques, including the repointing and rebuilding of lock walls using lime mortar.

Volunteers will also help carry out various landscaping activities and habitat creation, including the construction of a new public picnic site at Ty Coch.

Dates: 2nd-9th July 9th-16th July

£63

Swansea Canal Location: South Wales Activities: Heritage construction skills The Swansea Canal originally rose 115 metres through 36 locks from sea level at Swansea up the valley to Abercraf. Like most canals in South Wales, the lock chambers are built entirely of fairly thin courses of stone rather than the brickwork used on most English canals.

Volunteers will be carrying out repairs using traditional materials - stone and lime mortar.

This summer volunteers will help with the restoration of the Trebanos Locks - repairing the lock chamber walls and dry stone walling along the towpath as well as clearing silt from the chamber. Volunteers will also carry out bank repairs using willow hurdles. The Swansea Canal Society is well renowned for its hospitality and is looking forward to welcoming volunteers to the Swansea Valley this summer!

This is a great camp for all abilities whether you are a beginner or a more experienced ‘navvy’.

Dates: 16th-23rd July

£63

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Stover Canal Location: Devon Activities: Wall construction and vegetation clearance Built in the 18th century, the Stover Canal was used to transport clay and other minerals from Bovey Basin and the quarries of Dartmoor to the docks at Teignmouth. Water remained in the canal until 1951 when it burst its banks, flooding part of a nearby clay works. Since then the channel and all the locks have fallen into a state of neglect.

Last summer volunteers cleared Graving Dock Lock of undergrowth and repointed much of the granite block work and this year we are working on a new site at Ventiford Basin. Over the years soil, vegetation and tree roots have damaged the Basin’s walls. The plan is to take

Yorkshire

down the damaged stonework, remove vegetation and start the rebuilding process.

This camp will be great for anyone interested in industrial archaeology, with 100 metres of the granite tramway to also uncover!

Dates: 6th-13th August 13th-20th August

£63

Pocklington Canal Location: East Yorkshire Activities: Lock restoration work Although the canal was never formally abandoned it gradually fell into disuse and by the early 1930s it was no longer used by commercial craft. Then in 1959 there was a proposal to infill the canal with “inoffensive sludge” from a water treatment plant which angered many people, including landowners, local residents, and members of The Inland Waterways Association. After some serious campaigning the canal was saved and is now a beautiful and valuable wildlife habitat, cherished by visitors and the local community.

Volunteers will spend the week carrying out restoration work on Thornton Lock - repointing and repairing damaged brickwork in the lock chamber and wing walls. With pleasant

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surroundings, good accommodation and the chance to learn bricklaying, this will be a great camp for all abilities!

Dates: 13th-20th August

£63

midlands

Location: Lincolnshire Activities: Lock wall construction and bricklaying

to preserve and enhance its value for wildlife, whilst opening up the canal and making it fully navigable once more. With towpath improvement works the area is now popular with many cyclists and walkers and is a real asset to the local area.

Opened in 1797, the Grantham Canal climbed through 18 locks along the 33 miles from the River Trent in Nottingham to Grantham. It was modestly successful but by the mid-19th century a parallel railway had opened. In 1936 the last trade ended and the canal closed.

Four miles and the top three locks at Woolsthorpe have been restored, plus a length at Cotgrave. The aim is to extend the restored length down through the rest of the Woolsthorpe Locks and onto the 20 mile long pound.

During the years of dereliction, the Grantham Canal has become a valuable wetland habitat for local wildlife. The restoration work aims

That’s where WRG comes in!

Grantham Canal

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Grantham continued...

WRG is supporting Canal & River Trust’s (CRT) and Grantham Canal Society’s successful Heritage Lottery bid to restore locks 14 and 15. The emphasis of the bid is to undertake restoration work using volunteers and allow people to learn waterway heritage construction skills. In 2015 WRG volunteers spent the summer creating an overflow weir and set about demolishing the damaged lock chamber walls. In 2016 WRG volunteers will be supporting the efforts of the Grantham Canal Society to rebuild the lock chamber walls.

Set in the beautiful Vale of Belvoir, with excellent local support and the chance to learn how to bricklay, these will be popular camps!

Dates: 3rd-9th July 9th-16th July 16th-23rd July 23rd-30th July

£63

Uttoxeter Canal Location: Staffordshire Activities: Bridge restoration Essentially a rural waterway, the Uttoxeter Canal ran for 13 miles from a junction with the Caldon Canal at Froghall to a terminus in Uttoxeter. At the moment restoration efforts are focused on improving the canal environment, reinstating the towpath at Crumpwood and repairing Bridge 70.

© Photo by Julie Arnold (Waterway Images)

Dates: 2nd-9th April 9th-16th April

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Volunteers will be working on Bridge 70 continuing work started in 2013 to restore the bridge to its former glory. Over the two weeks volunteers will help rebuild the parapets, waterproof the bridge deck and finish the repointing work. Work on the bridge needs to be completed by May 2016 or the project will lose its HLF funding - so the Uttoxeter Canal needs your help now!

Ashby Canal Location: Leicestershire Activities: Bridge restoration and brickwork The Ashby Canal is 22 miles long with no locks and runs from the Coventry Canal at Marston Junction to Snarestone. Last year volunteers worked to restore two bridges on the Canal Bridge 41 on the navigable section of the canal and Bridge 62 on the newly restored section of the canal.

In 2016 volunteers will be back at Bridge 41 to finish the repointing and repair work started in 2015, as well as improving a stretch of the towpath nearby. This camp will give volunteers the chance to try their hand at lots of different tasks with a particular focus on bricklaying.

Dates: 6th-13th August

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This is a great opportunity for volunteers to hone their construction skills on an open and active canal, whilst securing the future of a historic bridge!

Lapal Canal Location: Birmingham Activities: Canal wharf reconstruction The Dudley No.2 Line Canal was opened in 1798 linking the coalfields of Dudley to London and the South. The long term aim is to restore the entire length of the canal, creating a valuable cruising ring on the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

This year WRG volunteers will be helping the Lapal Canal Trust restore Harborne Wharf. In 2015 the Trust, working in partnership with Careys, removed large amounts of soil to expose the wharf walls and the main task for the Canal Camps is to repair about 40 metres of the wall. Volunteers will help strengthen the existing foundations and repair damaged brickwork. Once repaired, the Trust hopes to re-water this section creating an amenity for local residents and an area for boats to turn.

Dates: 30th July-6th August 6th-13th August

ÂŁ63

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Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Location: Shropshire Activities: Canal bed relining The Shrewsbury and Newport Canals were officially abandoned by an Act of Parliament in 1944. When the restoration of the canals was originally proposed in the 1960s it had been closed for barely 20 years. Unfortunately what might have been a relatively straightforward restoration was hindered by British Waterways selling off some important parts. The goal of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust is to form a continuous navigable waterway linking Norbury Junction with Shrewsbury.

This year volunteers will be working at Forton and Meretown assisting the Trust volunteers in their work to re-water the canal. Using excavators volunteers will re-profile the canal

bed, lay geotextile lining material to make the canal waterproof and re-establish the towpath.

These are highly visible sites, popular with walkers, so it will be great to show local people what volunteers can do and that restoration work is moving forward.

Dates: 13th-20th August 20th-27th August

£63

Chesterfield Canal Location: Derbyshire Activities: Lock and wall construction Nearly 20 miles of the Chesterfield Canal has already been restored, and the Chesterfield Canal Trust are hard at work restoring the remaining 8 miles. This means building new locks and new lengths of canal to get past difficult obstructions like roads and railways.

The race is on to complete one of these projects at Staveley - a new lock and a 275 metres pound below the lock - in time for IWA’s Trailboat Festival in May. Volunteers will be working alongside Chesterfield Canal Trust volunteers helping rebuild the canal wall and constructing a bywash as well as helping landscape and prepare the site for its grand opening. It’s not often that you will see a canal restoration project in water with boats on it just a few weeks after you leave!

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Dates: 25th March-2nd April

£72

South East Wey and Arun Canal Location: West Sussex Activities: Bridge restoration and block laying The Wey & Arun Canal was one of the earliest canals to close. It’s now been abandoned for over twice as long as it was open. Despite this, its remote location has ensured that much of it has survived.

Work has already started to build a new bridge over the canal with the aim of restoring 1½ miles back to a fully navigable state along the Summit Section. In 2016 WRG volunteers will be involved in helping clad the new concrete bridge in bricks (8,000 of them!) and blocks.

Once this has been done the volunteers will demolish the old causeway, landscape the area, create paths, seating areas and interpretation panels.

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Reopening of this section is planned for September, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the canal so there is a lot to do before then!

Dates: 2nd-9th July 9th-16th July

£63

Buckingham Canal

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Location: Buckinghamshire Activities: Bridge restoration

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What we now refer to as the Buckingham Canal is actually made up of two original canals.

The first is the Old Stratford Cut which ran for about two miles from the Grand Union at Cosgrove Lock westwards as far as the old A5, and the Buckingham Arm which continued onto Buckingham. With the construction of the A5 in the 1970s the canal looked set to disappear into the undergrowth, but in 1992 the Buckingham Canal Society was formed and began clearing the length of the Arm.

Dates: 23rd-30th July 30th July-6th August

This summer WRG volunteers will be helping the Canal Society rebuild Bridge 1 of the canal at Cosgrove. Volunteers will construct the foundations for the new bridge and wing walls.

These will be technical, but fun-filled camps, giving volunteers the opportunity to learn lots of new skills! £63

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Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation Location: Essex Activities: Vegetation clearance and towpath repairs Ten years of focus and investment can make an amazing difference to a waterway. In the decade since IWA’s subsidiary Essex Waterways took over the running of the Chelmer & Blackwater, the once run down navigation has been transformed. The Chelmer & Blackwater is an unsung gem - relished by the people of Essex but comparatively little known among the wider canal community. The navigation runs through a largely unspoilt part of rural Essex and connects the county town of Chelmsford with the tidal estuary of the River Blackwater at Heybridge Basin.

Waterways Team to help clear overgrown vegetation from the towpath and improve access for all waterway users. This will involve lots of scrub bashing, bonfires and other activities to keep you warm!

Dates: 13th-20th February 22nd-29th October

£63

To help maintain this beautiful waterway, WRG volunteers will be working alongside the Essex

Christmas Camp Location: TBC Activities: Vegetation clearance, bonfires and other winter activities Our main Canal Camps programme ends in October, but that doesn’t mean we go into hibernation for winter. WRG works all year round and every year we run a Christmas Camp from the 26th December through to New Years Day. Work will include vegetation clearance, so there will be plenty of scrub bashing, bonfires and other winter activities. It’s the perfect way to work off your Christmas dinner and start the New Year in style!

We haven’t decided on a site for 2016 but keep checking the website for more information.

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Dates: 26th December-1st January 2017

£63

Other Events BCN Cleanup 2016 Location: Birmingham Activities: Canal cleanup Ever wondered what’s lurking beneath the waters of the Birmingham Canal Navigations?

The Cleanup weekend is a great opportunity to have fun and meet new people while clearing shopping trolleys, tyres, bicycles and even more exciting treasurers from the canal! This year WRG volunteers will be working on the cutting above Perry Barr Locks, with the possibility of also doing some clearance on routes towards Pelsall, ahead of IWA’s Festival of Water in August.

In 2015 volunteers cleared over 40 tonnes of rubbish along the BCN Old Main Line at Smethwick Junction and surrounding locks.

Lots of interesting ‘treasures’ were pulled out of the canal including motorbikes, a freezer, a Hindu deity statue, a shotgun, several parts of a car… and of course a few shopping trolleys!

It is hoped this annual effort on the BCN will help keep the less well used parts of the BCN & Black Country Network from getting choked up with rubbish and becoming impassable for boats.

Dates: 16th-17th April

£13

Bonfire Bash 2016 Save the Date!

Location: TBC Activities: Vegetation clearance and socialising!

WRG’s Reunion is our big annual get together and working party for over 100 volunteers. It’s also known as the Bonfire Bash because we usually spend the weekend clearing vegetation along the line of a canal, and warming ourselves by bonfires! There will also be the chance to have a sneak peak of our Camps programme for 2017! More details to follow.

Dates: 5th-6th November

£13

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Help run a canal camp Our Canal Camps also need leaders and organisers to help run them. Volunteers donate their own holiday time to ensure the next generation of canal volunteers can get involved in restoration in a fun and safe way!

As a WRG Canal Camp leader, assistant or cook you will need to be able to give up a week of your holiday, have some experience of Canal Camps, and most of all be willing to look after (or feed) 18 wonderful volunteers!

To find out how to get involved please email leaders@waterways.org.uk or find out more at www.wrg.org.uk/volunteer

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Why volunteer... what’s in it for you?

Meet new people form a wide range of backgrounds and ages.

Gain new, transferable skills that make your CV stand out.

Have a fun, enjoyable and FREE holiday.

Become a vital member of the WRGie team!

I get so much satisfaction leading camps - seeing new volunteers start at the beginning of the week knowing no one and leaving with new friends and skills at the end. It’s awesome!

Becky, Leader 2015

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Something for the weekend WRG’s Regional Groups organise weekend canal restoration ‘digs’ for volunteers throughout England and Wales. The work can be anything from restoring a lock chamber to vegetation clearance, there really is something for everyone. The weekends start on the Friday evening and volunteers work on site from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon. Each weekend costs between £8-£15 which includes food and accommodation.

Are you looking for exciting ways to fill a weekend? Are you interested in learning new skills?

Maybe you want to improve your bricklaying or hone your digger operating skills? If your answer is ‘YES’ then WRG has something for you.

For more information and upcoming dig dates visit the WRG website at:

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Canal camp booking form please use block capitals

Personal Details Title: (delete as appropriate) Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other

First name(s): .......................................................... Surname: ......................................................................

Address: ............................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................... Postcode: .........................................

Tel: ......................................................................... Mobile: ...............................................................................

Email: .....................................................................................................................................................................

DoB (you must be over 18 at the start of the camp):

...... / ...... / ......

Please note: Booking confirmation, kit list and Health & Safety booklet will be sent out via post once booking is confirmed. All other correspondence will be sent via email including camp directions.

Emergency Contact Details Please provide details of someone who we can contact in case of emergency Name: ...................................................................................... Tel: ....................................................................

I Wish to Attend Canal Camp(s): Camp No: ................................................................... Canal: ..........................................................................

Camp No: ................................................................... Canal: ..........................................................................

Dietary Requirements Please indicate any special dietary requirements (e.g. vegan, vegetarian etc and any food allergies)

................................................................................................................................................................

Other Information Do you hold a current First Aid Qualification?

YES / NO

If yes, please specify details: ........................................................................................................................ ..................................................................................................................................................................................

Occupation: ........................................................................................................................................................

Are you attending as part of your Duke of Edinburgh Award?

YES / NO

How did you hear about us? .......................................................................................................................

How do you intend to travel to the camp? (Car, Public Transport, Other) ................................

Medical & Access Information Please let us know if you have any conditions for which you are currently seeing a doctor for treatment (e.g. asthma, epilepsy, allergies, or other health issues) and/or if you have any access needs. Please also include any information about medications including the dosage. This information will help the leader plan suitable activities for the Canal Camp. Please advise us of any changes before the start of the camp.

................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................

Payment I enclose a cheque for £

Please make cheques payable to ‘The Inland Waterways Association’

or

Please debit my credit/debit card Amount £

Card Number:

Start Date*

Security Code**

Expiry Date Issue No.***

* Start Date/Issue No. is for Maestro cards only. **Security code is the last 3 digits on the back of the card. *** If applicable

Cancellation Policy If you wish to cancel or transfer your booking please inform us at least 21 days before the start of the camp. Your payment will be refunded less a £10 administration fee, or transferred to another camp free of charge. If you cancel less than 21 days before the start of the camp no refund can be made.

Declaration Please read the following before signing: I agree that information on this form may be stored on an electronic database and that this information may be provided to organisers of the camp that I will be attending and to other authorised WRG personnel. WRG may use the information you supply for administrative purposes and to send you information about our activities.

Signature: ................................................................................................. Date: ...........................................

Data Protection Act: We promise not to sell your details to anyone else. WRG may send you information about The Inland Waterways Association’s campaigns and activities from time to time.

If you do not wish to receive this information, please tick this box.

Please return your completed form to:

WRG, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA

dates for 2016

13th-20th February Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation CC201601

25th March-2nd April Chesterfield Canal CC201602 26th March-2nd April Weymoor Bridge (Cotswolds) CC201603 2nd-9th April Weymoor Bridge (Cotswolds) CC201604 Uttoxeter Canal CC201605 9th-16th April Uttoxeter Canal CC201606 16th-17th April BCN Cleanup BCN2016

14th May Leaders Training Day LT2016

11th-12th June WRG Training Weekend TW2016 11th-18th June Inglesham Lock (Cotswolds) CC201607 18th-25th June Inglesham Lock (Cotswolds) CC201608 25th June-2nd July Inglesham Lock (Cotswolds) CC201609 2nd-9th July Monmouthshire Canal CC201610 Wey & Arun Canal (NWPG) CC201611

30th July-6th August Cotswold Canals CC201621 Buckingham Canal CC201622 Lapal Canal CC201623 6th-13th August Stover Canal CC201624 Ashby Canal CC201625 Lapal Canal CC201626 13th-20th August Stover Canal CC201627 Pocklington Canal CC201628 Shrewsbury & Newport Canals CC201629 20th-27th August Shrewsbury & Newport Canals CC201630 27th August-3rd September Inglesham Lock (Cotswolds) CC201631 3rd-10th September Inglesham Lock (Cotswolds) CC201632

3rd-9th July Grantham Canal CC201612

10th-17th September Inglesham Lock (Cotswolds) CC201633

9th-16th July Monmouthshire Canal CC201613 Wey & Arun Canal CC201614 Grantham Canal CC201615

21st-29th October TBC WRG Forestry WRGFT2016

16th-23rd July Swansea Canal CC201616 Grantham Canal CC201617 23rd-30th July Cotswold Canals CC201618 Buckingham Canal (KESCRG) CC201619 Grantham Canal CC201620

22nd-29th October Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation CC201634 5th-6th November TBC Bonfire Bash BB2016 fff

26th December-1st January 2017 TBC Christmas Camp CC201635

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We dig canals!

Wrg is part of iwa WRG is part of The Inland Waterways Association, the charity dedicated to keeping our waterways alive. Each year around a third of IWA’s membership subscription income, around £100,000, is spent supporting the activities of WRG’s hands on restoration work parties around the canal network. This money pays for all the (non-muddy!) behind the scene activities that you often don’t get to see - the admin, finances, fund raising, insurance, marketing and publicity - all of which allows WRG to get on with what we are best at – restoring canals! This strong partnership means that WRG and its volunteers can continue to grow and support restoration projects across England & Wales.

www.waterways.org.uk Keeping our waterways alive Waterway Recovery Group is part of The Inland Waterways Association (registered office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA). The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee, registered in England no 612245, and registered as a charity no 212342. VAT registration no 342 0715 89. Copyright Waterway Recovery Group 2015.

WRG reserves the right to decline bookings without a specified reason. Photos supplied by WRG volunteers.

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