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8,000 benefit from Forth & Clyde Canal

Canal Community Liaison Officer, Steven Cole, has helped more than 8,000 people discover and enjoy the Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire since starting the job in 2008.

Canal Community Liaison Officer, Steven Cole, has helped more than 8,000 people discover and enjoy the Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire Over the past two years, Steven has worked with primary schools, unemployed adults, pensioners and people with mental health problems, helping them to explore the waterway on their doorstep.

Steve explains: “The canal is a fantastic resource and has so much to offer everyone, whatever your age. No longer the preserve of boaters and anglers, the canal offers opportunities for people to learn about wildlife and history; to get fit and to develop new skills.”

Working for The Waterways Trust Scotland, Steven’s role was funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, Heritage Lottery Fund, Glasgow City Council, British Waterways Scotland, West Dunbartonshire Council and ISIS Waterside Regeneration, with the aim of encouraging people living in Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire to discover, enjoy and care for their canal.

Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow - The branch within Glasgow from Maryhill to Port Dundas, showing Ruchill Church. “From Wildlife Safaris to walking groups; towpath tidy events to learning how to build wooden boats, the projects and activities that we have developed over the past two years have opened people’s eyes up as to the potential of the canal, increased its usage and encouraged a sense of ownership of the waterway.”

Other highlights include working with young people to create a canal-based board game for primary schools and producing a set of six leaflets detailing walks along the Forth & Clyde Canal. The leaflets have been distributed to health centres, libraries and walking groups.

Ashley Pritchard from North Glasgow Healthy Living Community said: “Steve has been invaluable with regards to Northern Sole Mates (North Glasgow walking network). His knowledge about the canal has been especially beneficial to a lot of our local walkers who are discovering new things even though they have lived in north Glasgow their whole life. People now feel safer about going to the canal in north Glasgow through the work that Steve has done.”

Steven will continue his work in Glasgow and will also focus on North Lanarkshire, where he will work on the Forth & Clyde and Monkland Canals where he hopes to build on his initial success and spread the good practice gained from his work in West Dunbartonshire.

British Waterways Scotland - Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow Richard Millar from British Waterways Scotland said: “It’s been a pleasure to see the drive, determination and innovative manner in with which Steve has applied himself to the task of engaging communities across North Glasgow.”

The full evaluation is now complete.

For a copy please contact The Waterways Trust Scotland

Through talks, activity and environmental projects Steven is encouraging people young and old to value and care for the canal and use it to improve their lifestyle.

Contact: Steven Cole
Tel: 0141 354 7757
Mobile: 07795 315434
Enail: steven.cole@thewaterwaystrust.co.uk