We're organising a clean-up of the canal after the Boxing Day floods caused widespread damage to the towpath and dumped rubbish and other debris.
The volunteer event between 10am and 1pm on Saturday 23rd January is focussed on the canal between Elland Lock and Park Nook lock. Local people can help repair the towpath, rebuild a damaged dry stone wall and clear the rubbish that the floodwaters have dropped.
Major damage
Jon Horsfall, waterway manager for the Canal & River Trust said; “The Boxing Day floods were the worst we've ever seen on our waterways and have caused major damage on the Calder & Hebble Navigation.
“You only have to take a walk to Park Nook to get an understanding of the havoc that the floods wreaked. The towpath has been washed away, walls have been destroyed, there's rubbish lying everywhere, a boat was even lifted onto the bank and dropped against the trees – it really is a chaotic scene.
“We want to get the canal and towpath back to its best as quickly as possible so that it can once more be enjoyed by the local community. That's why we're asking local people to help where they can and this volunteering day will be a great opportunity for us all to pull together and begin to get things back to normal. We've already had lots of fantastic offers of support and we're very grateful for any help that people can give.”
Appeal
We have also launched an appeal to help rebuild canals in the heart of flood-hit communities such as those along the Calder & Hebble Navigation. The Boxing Day floods destroyed homes and businesses, damaged historic canals and washed away much loved stretches of towpath. Our appeal will help rebuild and reopen historic waterways helping waterside communities, where life has been turned upside down, to recover.
The meeting point for the clean-up is the Colliers Arms, off Park Road, HX5 9HZ at 10am on Saturday 23rd January. The Colliers Arms have kindly offered the use of their car park for people wanting to help out.
For more information on volunteering contact Lucy Dockray on 07767 383736 or [email protected].
