Online event application form

This online application form is for all events and activities. If you're a school group, educational body or uniformed group who are just visiting the canal (not fundraising) then you can find more information on our Explorer pages.

Alternatively, if you'd like to coordinate volunteer sessions on our properties, please don't hesitate to contact us via email at [email protected] for further details and support.

When to apply

We recommend submitting your event application at least three months prior to the scheduled event date. This allows sufficient time for your application to be reviewed and approved. Keep in mind that submitting an application with less than four weeks before the event is scheduled to occur is likely to result in us declining the event due to insufficient time to process.

We charge a £95 (+VAT) non-refundable administration charge for third-party events, which will be paid as part of the submission process. The charge helps cover the cost to our charity of processing events. If your event is a free (for all) community event, that is not raising money for charity and is for fewer than 25 people, you won't be charged for your application. More information on the events rate card.

There is an additional charge for large-scale (1,000 participants and over), commercial events and promotional events. This will contribute to the cost of keeping the nation's canal heritage alive for today and for future generations to enjoy.

How to apply

To fill in the online events application form you will first require a My Trust account. You can set up an account here. Then click on the link below to go to the event application form.

What happens next?

You'll be asked to pay the admin fee at the time of submission, we'll also need a risk assessment, safeguarding policy and copy of your public liability insurance certificate. If you need to add additional items to your application after submitting it, you'll need to contact us for consent.

Once completed, we'll process your application and inform and consult with our relevant local teams. We might need to ask you for further details during the assessment process. You'll have a dashboard to monitor the progress of your application. If your application needs to be refused, we will let you know why.

A special note for unpowered craft events – paddle responsibly

For events involving kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, it's essential to follow check, clean, and dry procedures to prevent the spread of invasive species. These simple steps help protect our waterways and their delicate ecosystems. Learn more about biosecurity (see our Invasive species page and video) at paddling events and how to play your part by visiting the British Canoeing Biosecurity Toolkit.