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The Kirkintilloch Canal Festival

The Kirkintilloch Canal Festival has received a prestigious British Urban Regeneration Association award for the record-breaking 2008 Canal Festival.

The Waterways Renaissance Awards, run by The Waterways Trust and BURA (British Urban Regeneration Association), aim to recognise best practice in sustainable waterway regeneration and development throughout the United Kingdom.

The Festival was selected from a field of over 100 other entrants from across Britain and initially short listed as a finalist with two others. The nominations were judged by an independent assessment panel, comprising waterway, conservation and regeneration experts and chaired by Sir Peter Soulsby MP, with the result announced in Liverpool at a ceremony on 31st March.

In evaluating the Festival, the assessment panel commented that ‘It’s outstanding and exceptional feature is how the festival has become a whole town event focussing on waterway regeneration. This waterway festival is showing the way for other regeneration initiatives in the town by getting local people enthusiastic about debating the value of their heritage’.

Councillor Billy Hendry of East Dunbartonshire Council, the Festival’s lead partner, stated ‘We are delighted to have won this prestigious award. The event has grown from strength to strength over the last few years and is now a major tourist attraction in East Dunbartonshire, attracting visitors from all over Scotland.

The festival is a great example of how, through a coordinated approach, community facilities and developments can be used for events to successfully promote an area.’

The 2008 Kirkintilloch Canal Festival welcomed over 27,000 visitors to Kirkintilloch Town Centre, bringing an estimated net expenditure to the local economy of over £380,000.

Steve Dunlop, Director Scotland at British Waterways added: "We are delighted the Kirkintilloch Canal Festival was recognised with the top prize for recreation and tourism. Our aim is to create thriving canalside environments, bringing benefits to people of all generations for the future, and the Kirkintilloch Festival is a prime example of this. As a contributing partner, we recognise the importance of events in showcasing Scotland's canals offering as well as demonstrating how our continued commitment to regeneration is paying dividends in areas like Kirkintilloch. Last year we welcomed a record number of visitors and we hope that is goes from strength to strength, with 2009 bringing even more people to the canalside for a fun-filled weekend. Judging by the overall success of so many Scottish canal based activities honoured at the awards we are achieving great things in Scotland and long may it continue."

Roger Hanbury, Chief Executive of The Waterways Trust, said: “The success of Kirkintilloch Canal Festival is an excellent example of how our waterways continues to transform our environment, creating education, leisure and business opportunities, injecting new life into our waterways and bringing communities together. This project clearly demonstrates what can be achieved with vision, commitment and partnership working.”

The Kirkintilloch Canal Festival 2009

Preparations forThe Kirkintilloch Canal Festival 2009 are already well underway; scheduled for the weekend of Saturday 29th August and Sunday 30th August, the event will build on the success of previous years, providing a full weekend of events for all ages and interests, based around the Forth and Clyde Canal in Kirkintilloch Town Centre. The festival organisers have drafted in the expertise of Glasgow based event consultants GMFCo to help develop what’s on offer at the event, which this year will include a range of themed boat trips, water displays, live waterside music and performance, a massive street parade, markets, fun fairs and much much more.

More information and regular updates are available from www.kirkintillochcanalfestival.org.uk.