Enriching our waterways

Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, our Waterway Community Fund is empowering and encouraging these grassroots projects to transform their local stretch.

These groups have often been caring for their local canal for many years. But now, thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we’re helping them develop beautiful, tranquil spaces where people can exercise, relax, and connect with nature.

Onwards and upwards on the Regent’s Canal

The Regent’s Canal Coalition (RCC) look after a 1.2-mile stretch of Regent’s Canal in the heart of London’s East End, from Limehouse to Mile End. Since 2013, they’ve been working to improve the environment, protect wildlife, and engage the local community.

One of their biggest challenges has been finding funds for ongoing maintenance works. Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, they can now cover the cost of hiring canoes for litter picks and vegetation management, and create beautiful wildflower meadows and planters full of spring bulbs on the canal side. RCC now has the extra resources it needs to continue its invaluable work of greening and cleaning the canal and towpath while enriching the lives of hundreds of local volunteers.

Beautifying the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal

30 years on from its reopening in 1994, IWA Somerset Volunteers group are dedicated to improving a two-mile stretch of the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal, between Bridgwater docks and the Boat & Anchor public house in Huntworth.

A 100-metre section of the canal has clogged with reeds after boat traffic was held up for safety reasons. Despite the group’s best efforts, the area has gradually deteriorated, becoming a hotspot for littering and fly-tipping.

But funds raised by Postcode Lottery players have been a real game-changer, giving the group the industrial-strength tools they need to combat the litter problem and clear excess vegetation. A new mower and leaf blower have helped them transform the towpath, while regular maintenance of equipment has allowed them to get out on the water and start ridding the canal of weeds and rubbish.

All aboard in Northamptonshire

IWA Northampton has an army of enthusiastic volunteers who work hard to keep local waterways safe, tidy, and well-maintained. To provide a focal point for their operations and help them tackle overhanging trees and vegetation, the group began looking into buying a reliable work boat.

They identified an old 35-foot vessel that had fallen into disrepair. However, restoring ageing work boats can be expensive. Thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the group were able to purchase the boat and begin the necessary repairs – overhauling the propulsion system and building a brand-new cabin, complete with heater, sink and toilet. The boat is vital because the group's stretch of waterway can be difficult to access by any other means, so once the new work boat is fully operational, it will help them keep unwanted vegetation under control and enable them to transport tools, materials, and colleagues in a way that otherwise simply wouldn’t be possible.

Retooling and rewilding on the Calder & Hebble Navigation

The Safe Anchor Trust have been making a difference in their community for almost 30 years, caring for a seven-mile stretch of the Calder & Hebble Navigation from Brighouse to Dewsbury and running popular boat trips along the same stretch. Until recently, they’ve had to rely on volunteers’ personal gardening equipment to maintain the banks and towpath, often making tasks more difficult and time-consuming.

With funds raised by Postcode Lottery players, the group have been able to purchase a pair of industrial strimmers and two battery-operated saws, drastically reducing the time it takes to clear advancing vegetation. This has freed up volunteers to tackle other important issues along the waterway, such as littering. The grant has also supported the group’s ongoing rewilding project, helping them plant a small orchard and beautify the waterway with wildflowers.

Clearing the way in Derbyshire

The Erewash Canal Preservation & Development Association (ECPDA) have been helping to preserve the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire for more than 50 years, working tirelessly to maintain an 11.5-mile section from the Great Northern Basin to Long Eaton. The generous support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery has helped them redouble their efforts, paying for an industrial pole saw, a chain saw, and two RHS-approved loppers. With their new maintenance equipment, the group now work faster and more effectively, clearing unwanted vegetation to improve sightlines and make the canal safer and easier to navigate. The funds have also paid for extensive repairs to the group’s work boat, fixing the gearbox and hull and getting it ready for a busy winter ahead.

Do you know a project that needs support?

These are just a few of the amazing projects made possible by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and we’re delighted that thanks to them, Waterway Community Funding is now available for more projects. So if you are a partner group, organisation or current Trust volunteer and would like to apply for funding please visit our dedicated People's Postcode Lottery page.