WRG Camps are back

IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group has launched its summer programme of working holidays called Canal Camps for 2022. These week-long getaways mean that you can help restore the derelict waterways of England and Wales.

This summer, volunteers will support nine different canal restoration projects and undertake a range of work. For example, you could help rebuild a historic lengthsman’s hut near Berwick Tunnel on the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals, or be involved in a major earthworks project on the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal to create 600m of new canal. Canal Camps are a great experience for anyone who loves being outdoors and enjoys meeting new people from different backgrounds and of different ages. Each week long project costs £70.

LEARN NEW SKILLS

Experience is a bonus but isn’t necessary. Our Camps offer you a fantastic chance to learn new skills such as: �� Bricklaying �� Machine operation �� Heritage restoration techniques Volunteers on our camps work together and make a real difference over the course of the week. They leave with a sense of pride, knowing that they have helped to bring a waterway back to life. Charlotte, volunteer from the Burslem Port Canal Camp in October 2021, said ‘I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of a Canal Camp. The combination of fresh air, mud and getting hands-on experience of restoring our heritage all in the company of friendly people, was the perfect way to spend a week!”

WHY RESTORE CANALS?

We restore canals as we believe they are a key part of our 21st century green-blue infrastructure. They act as a huge, linear national park, connecting communities, providing safe havens for wildlife and spaces for people to enjoy and relax in. They are also an important part of our industrial heritage and could play an important role in protecting us from flooding due to climate change.