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Region Chair Report Page
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Editorial
Welcome to the Summer edition of Cargoes. I hope you were able to enjoy the good weather we experienced in April, although, at the time of writing, we could do with some rain! Several IWA events have been able to take place around the country, one especially close to our area - Cavalcade. The Chichester Ship Canal is celebrating its 200th Anniversary this year with many events throughout the year. Several IWA members were able to attend the first major event which I understand was a brilliant day and very well supported. The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust is celebrating its 60th Anniversary with the Reading Water Fest and Newbury Water Festival. Please support both if you can. British Canoeing is hard at work trying to eradicate Floating Pennywort from our waters and recently had another successful day on the River Wey. I hope you have a pleasant Summer on, in and around our waterways.
Chris Jones – Editor
From the Region Chair
It is a good feeling to feel things are getting back to the new normal. Chichester Canal Trust’s 200th Anniversary was a colourful affair with celebratory salvos and a good mixture of entertainment. IWA Cavalcade returned to Little Venice in style with a good number of boats and stalls. Some local visitors expressed their delight that the event had returned . Adequate funding for the waterways continues to be a concern. Both EA and CRT need assurances on long term funding to plan for the regular maintenance of the waterways. It seems perverse that funding may be cut just when our canals and rivers have proved their contribution to the overall health of the nation. IWA will continue to lobby at national and local level for sufficient funding. Finally, be assured that the changes to the IWA leadership team are being carefully managed to meet our obligations as a charity and an independent voice for the waterways.