The lock painting will take place between 10am and 12.30pm and 1.30pm and 4pm, with a BBQ at lunchtime. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their friends along. All tools and equipment will be provided and volunteers should wear old clothes that they don't mind getting paint on.
The work is part of the Trust's Towpath Taskforce volunteering project, which encourages people to come out, get their hands dirty and help protect some of the Greater London's most important industrial heritage and wildlife habitat. The Taskforce provides regular volunteering opportunities and aims to bring significant benefits to waterside communities and the canals and rivers that flow through them.
The teams meet regularly and are open to all ages and abilities, so people can take on more ownership of their local waterway. Projects include painting lock gates, improving access to the towpath, clearing overgrown vegetation, cleaning up litter and graffiti and helping wildlife by building nest and bat boxes and planting reed beds.
Debbie Vidler, volunteer co-ordinator for the Canal & River Trust in London says: “We want to say thank you to all the volunteers who have helped us take care of the Regent's Canal this year. I hope that people come along and pick up a paint brush to help give St Pancras Lock a fresh look for summer, and stay to enjoy a barbecue after a fun day's work.
“We want to provide easy opportunities for people to turn up to with no previous experience, meet existing volunteers and learn about other opportunities to get involved. One event a year can make a dent, but regular volunteer efforts will make a real difference to the thousands of people that use and visit them each week.”
More details are available from www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/towpathtaskforce.
For more details about the event, volunteers can contact Becky Williams on 07799 436 816, or call 0303 040 4040.
