During a visit, on 28 July, Jane met with some of our Kickstarters to find out more about the work they've been doing to improve the county's waterways for people and wildlife.
New recruits
We've recruited 22 young people from in and around Leicester to help care for the River Soar and Grand Union Canal. The new recruits, who started in June, will gain valuable work experience in waterway management and customer service, including canal and towpath care and a range of ‘green' environmental projects.
Already the team have been busy building a special canoe access platform at Barrow upon Soar, making it easier for people to get onto and out of the water. They've also got stuck in to works to improve sections of canal bank and erecting safety fencing.
The six-month positions were offered as part of the Kickstart initiative, a programme for young people aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment. The programme, which is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, supports young people to build up their experience and help them move into sustained employment after completing their Kickstart-funded role.
The Leicester roles are just some of the 69 placements the Trust is offering nationally, at an estimated value of c.£500,000. The charity has also recruited young people to join its construction teams, where participants will learn heritage skills ranging from masonry, bricklaying and carpentry, to canal bank protection and towpath resurfacing. Two further roles have been created in the charity's digital marketing team.
The visit was also an opportunity for us to explain proposals for improving sections of the River Soar towpath running through the town.