Overview

The Column of the National Chairman

I recently returned from a trip to the IWA Festival of Water at Waltham Abbey, which enabled me to experience the current boating issues in London and explore the joys of the Lee & Stort Navigation. I must encourage boaters to continue visiting our capital ci ; it is still a great experience by boat. The cries that you will not be able to moor south of... are simply not true. Yes, Canal & River Trust has problems with managing its moorings, but I was encouraged by the new locations, including some that are bookable in advance, and the improved enforcement there.

I am always fascinated when we pass members en route to note their obvious amazement at seeing the chairman actually cruising. Well, yes I do! And I see it as an important activi for judging for myself just how the waterways system is fairing. (Of course, I am not suggesting that future chairpersons must be boaters; others can bring di erent and valuable experiences to the post.)

It is essential that IWA doesn’t get to the end of successful initiatives just to park them and move on. Ongoing commitment is essential. Earlier in the year, we heard a lot regarding Waterways in Progress, our restoration campaign emphasising the economic and communi benefi ts of partially completed projects. It has been widely welcomed and I am pleased to say that we have continued our support of the concept by holding a competition for grants om our legacy income, aimed at encouraging schemes which benefi t or engage with local communities. We had an excellent response and the aim is for the successful projects to start next year. Elsewhere, our Restoration Hub’s High-Level Panel continues to support waterway restoration strategically by engaging with signifi cant national agencies to get across the wider benefi ts of regeneration and achieve their support.

Environmental issues are high on everyone’s agenda and we are discussing the likely impacts on the inland waterways and how IWA as a responsible organisation can contribute in a small way towards the future of the planet. Issues range om the e ects of climate change on the delicate in astructure of the waterways, water transfer and the di culties of maintaining navigations sustainably, to the need to consider di erent forms of boat propulsion and energy sources. There is much for IWA to focus its e orts on in the future, either by practical intervention or through commissioning research programmes.

I have referred previously to the importance of retaining our heritage and I am very excited by the plans being developed through our new Heritage Advisory Group. We want to move om a position of just protecting our heritage to one of also promoting the benefi ts that heritage can bring to the waterways economy, tourism and the economy, tourism and the visitor experience. This may range om major conservation projects to simple information boards, or even an app to engage with mobile technology users. A li le knowledge of why a particular canal is there and how it has contributed to the local economy and socie can enhance any visit.

Our 2019 Annual Members Meeting held on 28th September gave members, as in the previous few years, an enjoyable and interesting experience. So, as well as the essential business of the Annual General Meeting we had several speakers demonstrating the wide range of IWA achievements and challenges followed by a thought-provoking question and answer session to Trustees. The remaining visits, dinner and activities over the weekend were ably organised by the local branch, North Sta ordshire & South Cheshire, which received the Branch Achievement Award for its work throughout the year. My congratulations go out to them and to all other award winners who have worked unstintingly to make IWA the success that it is.