Canal volunteers are thrilled to receive a fund for new tools that will help keep local waters clean.

National waterways charity Canal and River Trust has a team of 40 volunteers in South Yorkshire, with around a dozen of these volunteers attending weekly Tuesday morning ‘Towpath Taskforce’ sessions to assist with clearing overhanging vegetation, keeping routes passable, litter removal and general site maintenance along the banks of the Stainforth and Keadby Canal between Long Sandall and Mexborough.

This helps to create a cleaner, safer and more attractive waterside environment for local people and wildlife.

Many of the tools that the volunteers have been using were reaching the end of their working lives, with a lot of challenging manual work required to keep the canalside vegetation in check.

But now, thanks to a £1,315 grant from the Marr Wind Farm Community Fund, the Trust has been able to upgrade the tools, equipment and personal protective equipment that it can provide to make the volunteers’ work easier and more efficient.

The grant will help volunteers get new tools. | South Yorkshire canal volunteers

placeholder image — The grant will help volunteers get new tools. | South Yorkshire canal volunteers

Paul Tonge, volunteer leader with the Canal & River Trust, says: “This is a really well-used route and our volunteers put in an awful lot of effort to keep it in peak condition, so that everyone gets to enjoy the best possible environment when they’re walking, running, cycling or sailing by.

“Most of our volunteers are retired waterway enthusiasts, and this project also gives them the chance to enjoy some time in the company of like-minded people, which can be just as important as the environmental side of things.

“Completing the different jobs that we take on can involve a lot of hard work, especially in the winter months, but the new equipment we’ve been able to bring in through this grant will speed things up and will make it much easier for our volunteers to keep on top of everything.

“Looking after the canal is a never-ending task and we’re very much reliant on donations for covering our costs, so we’re all really grateful for the generous support that we’ve had from the Marr Wind Farm fund.”

Organisations and projects that have previously received grants from the Marr fund include St Peter’s Church in Barnburgh, Hickleton Parish Council, All Saints Church in Hooton Pagnell, Adwick upon Dearne Parish Council and the Green Lane Action Committee.