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YEAR OF THE
VOLUNTEER
Don’t be daunted by the prospect of getting stuck in. In this, the second of our volunteer focus features, we chat to two people who have just started out in their volunteering roles, to hear their first impressions and how they feel they’re fitting in… Job Description:
Heritage Officer A heritage officer works with branches to encourage an appreciation of the heritage of our inland waterways in the widest sense: buildings, navigation structures, boats, skills and traditions, people and archives. The role includes producing and maintaining a list of remaining heritage sites, and supporting branches in campaigns for their retention. An officer will also campaign to prevent developments whose scale or character will have an adverse impact on the appearance of the waterways. Equally important is developing relationships with local historical and heritage groups to raise awareness of the importance of waterway heritage, and working with the national Heritage Advisory Panel and navigation authorities to protect this.
How long have you been in the role? Since February 2019.
What attracted you to it? I became aware of the position while reading the regional chairman’s (Paul Strudwick’s) column in the quarterly magazine Meridian Cuttings. I met Paul in my early membership days at a branch meeting, when we struck up a conversation concerning the financing of restoration projects. I saw this as a golden opportunity to work alongside Paul and other seasoned personnel within IWA.
Had you ever volunteered before taking on this position? No. However, within a short space of time I was co-opted on the South London Branch Committee, and then discovered (by email) that I’m a member of the national Heritage Advisory Panel. So within a few months I found I was involved at branch, regional and national level!
How many hours do you spend on the role per week?
Case Study:
Derek Humphries London Region Heritage Officer
with wide-ranging knowledge and expertise and I particularly enjoy attending meetings, learning from others and feeling that I’m making a contribution.
What have your first impressions been? To help me on my way, Paul Strudwick compiled a ‘job description’ (see abridged synopsis above). I admit to having felt quite daunted by the prospect, as this position was a new one within IWA. However, in the early days Paul and I worked together to look at aspects of recording and mapping heritage data. And since becoming a branch committee member for south London, I have also received ceaseless support from our branch chairman Libby Bradshaw.
What's been your biggest achievement in the role to date? One of my first objectives was to discover what heritage exists within the London region. It’s a huge patch and not easily researched by cycling all the towpaths! So I began by looking at a digital representation of the waterways instead, to ascertain the number of principal features (locks, bridges, aqueducts etc). The London region has about 200 miles of waterway, depending how much of the Thames estuary you include.
It varies from week to week. If I have a specific project in hand then I throw all my spare time at it, which could total around 25 hours a week. Otherwise five hours is more typical.
Have there been any challenges so far making space for the role in your normal routine? Prior to taking on this role, I was editor of a weekly waterways travelogue, which was enormously time consuming. At the end of the 2019 cruising season I put this to one side to make more room for IWA matters.
What do you enjoy about it? I have a keen interest in the historic development of our waterways, so for me this role is a perfect fit. IWA is full of people
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Listed Grade II: Bulbourne Yard on the Grand Union near Tring is an important historic site on the canal network, comprising a unique collection of canalside workshops, offices and dwellings. The site was historically used for the construction of lock gates and other waterway infrastructure.
Summer 2020 16/04/2020 15:04
