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There Are 23 WRG Canal Camps Running In 2010 - Fancy A Cheap Working Holiday?

Each week long holiday costs only £56 (inc. food & accom.) and is open to anyone aged over 18.

The Waterway Recovery Group needs your help … for 40 years people like you have been helping restore the derelict waterways of Britain and 2010 is no different….

The Waterway Recovery Group is a charity which actively restores the derelict canals of England and Wales by running weeklong residential volunteering opportunities every summer. There are 23 Canal Camps running this year with volunteers undertaking projects such as the restoration of ‘Steppingstone’s Bridge’ near Swindon on the Wilts & Berks Canal; the continuing excavation, restoration and rebuilding of Gough’s Orchard Lock on the Cotswold Canals; the restoration of a leaky culvert on the Grantham Canal; as well as working alongside Essex Waterways team to maintain the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, by assisting with bank protection, painting, towpath clearance and repairs.

WRG attracts a wide range of people , from young volunteers taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme; to waterway enthusiasts who with to make a contribution to restoring and preserving the system, to people who just want to get outdoors and dirty, have fun and learn new skills. Volunteers attending WRG activities must be aged between 18-70, but apart from that age doesn’t matter, nor does previous experience. The work of a modern canal restoration volunteer is just as varied as their volunteers – no two canal work sites are exactly the same. Every canal has its own distinctive features and building materials, as the original canal builders used whatever was available to hand to build the canals. Combine this with the many different jobs involved in restoring a canal and you will find Canal Camps offer a wide variety of different types of work. It may involve traditional work such as bricklaying and stonework; or modern techniques such as piling and concreting; or it may involve the use of machinery like excavators and dumpers…or nothing more sophisticated that a shovel or trowel! What ever you end up doing you will have a unique and memorable experience while helping us to keep the waterways alive for future generations.

WRG always need volunteers at a local and national level to keep the waterways restoration movement going forwards in the right direction. No matter how long or short you volunteer time is you can be sure you’ve made a difference. Throughout the year volunteers work on restoration projects so even if you start something you don’t have time to finish, you can be sure someone else will continue your good work. We are always looking for new volunteer so why not become 21 st century Navvies this year and help WRG celebrate 40 years of waterway restoration.

If you are able to help us promote WRG and their work, in the form of an article, please contact me (Jenny Black) on enquiries@wrg.org.uk or call 01494 783 453.

Notes

Each Canal Camp usually runs for seven days, each volunteer is asked to contribute £56 for the week (or £8 per day) towards the cost of their accommodation and the three meals a day that are provided. Most accommodation, which is best described as basic, is in sports centres, schools or village halls.

Anyone is welcome to volunteer for a Canal Camp; the only restriction is that they must be over 18 and under 70 years of age. No previous skills or experience are required.

Waterway Recovery Group is almost an entirely voluntary organisation, but has built up an extensive base of professional skills. An information pack covering opportunities to join in the waterway restoration work all over the country, including the latest Canal Camps brochure, is available free of charge from Jenny Black at Waterway Recovery Group, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783 453 – e-mail: enquires@wrg.org.uk

Alternatively you can refer to the website www.wrg.org.uk for further information, and a look back at what WRG has already achieved.