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The charity making life better by water

Surveying our boaters' views

We are inviting a third of our boat licence holders to complete a short survey asking for views on the Trust and the upkeep of its waterways

Boat Licence Support Officer at Camden Lock

Our Annual Perceptions Survey is issued to licence holders by email, text, or post where an email address for a boater is unavailable. Our survey is available for completion until 5 April, with the results published in early summer.

How are we doing?

The survey of randomly selected boaters is an annual snapshot of support for the Trust and how we are managing the waterways. We ask boaters how well they think our waterways are being maintained, whether they would recommend our waterways, and their overall satisfaction with the Trust's waterways.

Once again in 2020, the Annual Perceptions Survey will be complemented by a monthly Waterway Experience Survey which gets underway in April and will run through until September. This second survey is sent to a sample of boaters who are sighted out on the waterways each month. Volunteer lock keepers will distribute postcards to hire boaters with details of how they can complete the survey.

Making your experience the best it can be

Matthew Symonds, our national boating manager for the Trust, said: “Thank you to all the boaters who will be giving us feedback over the next few weeks and then as we progress throughout the summer.

“The Annual Perceptions Survey is a great opportunity for boaters to share their thoughts and feelings, so we can get a good sense of how we are doing as a charity, and where we can improve.

"The Monthly Experience Survey is more immediate and completed by those out cruising the waterways at that time. That means that we gain a much clearer picture of the issues affecting boaters as they happen. This enables us to be more responsive, and to target our maintenance and repair work on the highest priority areas throughout the year.

"We want to make your experience on the water a relaxing and enjoyable one, and your feedback is invaluable. Please make your voice heard if you are invited to take part.”

Last Edited: 10 March 2020

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