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The charity making life better by water

Hayes Canal Festival returns with day of fun on and by the water

A Sunday of fun on the canal is returning to Hayes Town again this summer with the annual Hayes Canal Festival confirmed for Sunday, 23 June 2024.

Blue narrowboat moves along a busy stretch of canal with canoes and paddleboards surrounding. On the towpath, a Canal & River Trust colleague walks passed bunting.

The festival has been made possible this year through the generous financial support from Colt Data Centre Services and building services company TClarke.

There will be activities for people of all ages, including boat trips, canoeing, paddleboarding, and stalls. The event aims to raise awareness of the canal and encourage local people to use and enjoy it in a variety of different ways – from walking to cycling, boating to fishing, watching wildlife to running or just simply relaxing and escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Making life better by water for everyone

Ros Daniels, our director for London & South East said: “We believe in making life better by water for everyone, but with the cost of maintaining our 250-year-old network rising and our government grant falling significantly in real terms, events like Hayes Canal Festival can only take place thanks to our sponsors. We are delighted to welcome back our 2023 sponsor Colt Data Centre Services and introduce TClarke as sponsors for this year’s festival, which brings the canal to the community like no other.

“I’m always delighted to see the people of Hayes engage with the activities on offer, both on and next to the water. From boat trips and paddleboarding to live music and children’s entertainment, there really is something for everyone.”

Engaging with the local community

Colt DCS & T Clarke said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring Canal & River Trust and Hayes Canal Festival again this year in conjunction with T Clarke, an event that sits at the centre of our CSR calendar for our Hayes Data Centre Project. Supporting this free, one-day community festival encourages and enables the local community to use and enjoy their canal in a variety of ways, including boat trips, and canoeing.”

Celebrating 10 years of the Hayes Canal Festival

David Brough from Hillingdon Canals Partnership said: “The Hillingdon Canals Partnership started the Hayes Canal Festival ten years ago with two clear aims – to make local people more aware of the great asset they have on their doorsteps and to provide a day of activity and entertainment for families from our diverse local communities.

“Since the Canal & River Trust took over the running of the event it has gone from strength to strength and it is heartening to see that our contacts with a major developer in Hayes have produced the essential funding needed to keep the Festival going for this year and next.

“Whoever forms the new Government after the General Election must give the Trust the money it needs to maintain the canals and to further develop events like ours.”

Kingfisher in flight with small fish in its beak

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Last Edited: 05 June 2024

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