Region Chair Report Page

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Editorial

Welcome to the Winter edition of Cargoes and welcome too to Kevin West from British Canoeing and the new General Manager of the National Trust – Tristan Brown – who are both new contributors to Cargoes. While welcoming new contributors I am sorry to learn the Salisbury group is disbanding due to lack of new members and the age of existing members. This is a problem being experienced by many organisations and we need to find ways to encourage younger members of the public to join our varying groups. Perversely British Canoeing recently held a “Floating Pennywort Bash” on the River Wey with 80 attendees! Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from them? Elsewhere you can read about the problems with new water points on the River Thames; the success of Basingstoke Raft Race, Reading Water Fest and the Wey River Festival to name a few. Enjoy! Chris Jones – Editor

Photo: Byfleet CC Illuminated Boats at Wey River Festival

Please remember restrictions may still in place. Events mentioned may be cancelled at short notice.

From the Region Chair

I wonder what is on your Christmas wish list for 2022? I am hoping that funding for the waterways allows the relevant authorities to plan for proactive maintenance not just crisis management. It is never possible to defer repairs to infrastructure indefinitely because water has a way of causing expensive damage all too quickly as the weir in Guildford demonstrated a few years ago. But where is the money to come from? Funding via government agencies or local authorities is likely to be curtailed despite the waterways being cited as having a positive effect on mental health. So a backlog of maintenance that has accrued over the pandemic period needs funding if the infrastructure is to remain fit for purpose. The IWA AGM was held remotely again this year and was well attended. Three new trustees were welcomed and two new vice national chairs were voted in at the first meeting of the trustees, making three in all. Hopefully they can support Paul Rodgers and Phil Hornsey as the IWA evolves into a charity for the century. The Restoration Conference organised by IWA and CRT provided an interesting mix of information and opinion from both speakers and delegates. The sustainable boating group suggested that the correlation between water depth and engine efficiency may be more significant than previously thought. See IWA website for any updates.

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It turned out to be an excellent year for boatyards, paddle sports retailers and boat hire. This influx of inexperienced boaters coupled with a lack of knowledge has led to some heated discussions on the water and on the bank. British Canoeing, which governs paddle boarding, has seen a marked increase in membership. It would appear that there is a direct correlation between increased income from licence fees and the efforts of the navigation authorities to enforce this. Some commercial operators on the Thames are puzzled that the Environment Agency has not seen a better uptake of licences from new owners. Enjoy Christmas and see you in 2022.

Verna Smith Region Chair

Branch Annual General Meetings

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meetings of the Kent & East Sussex, Oxfordshire and Guildford and Reading Branches of the Inland Waterways Association will be held as follows:

The Kent & East Sussex Branch AGM will take place at 7.30pm for 8pm on Thursday 24th February 2022 at Christ Church United Reform Church, High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SG

The Oxfordshire Branch AGM: Details to be announced soon.

The Guildford & Reading Branch AGM will take place at 7.30pm on Monday 28th March 2022. Further details to follow. The Agenda for the branch meetings will be based on the standard format set out in IWA Byelaws as follows:

Agenda

1 Apologies for Absence

2 Approval (following amendments if necessary) of the Minutes of the Branch AGM held the previous year

3 Matters arising from the Minutes (and not under other Agenda items)

4 Branch Chairman’s Report 5 Branch Treasurer’s Report and Accounts

6 Election of members of the Committee (Nomination no longer necessary). Simply contact the Chairman to apply to join the Branch Committee or do so at the AGM