In November, we celebrated the outstanding contribution of our volunteers at the annual Marsh Awards. We caught up with two of our worthy winners to discover what it's really like working for the Trust.
Mike Groves (far left) has been volunteering for the Trust for over 10 years
Mike Groves, from Derbyshire, took home the award for National Lead Volunteer of the Year. Mike, who gives up a staggering 40 hours of his time every week, began his journey with our charity way back in 2013. He’d recently retired and was on the lookout for a fresh challenge.
“I was 58,” Mike tells us. “I’d just finished working, and I started to think, ‘I haven’t really got a purpose when I get up in the morning; I’m just pottering around, doing whatever takes my fancy.’”
Mike learnt to sail at school, and he’s always had an affinity with water, so when he saw an opportunity for a volunteer lock keeper in nearby Atherstone, it sparked his interest. Mike quickly settled into his new role, and before long he was taking on extra responsibilities.
“I caught the bug,” Mike recalls, “and I started getting involved in more practical things, like carrying out repairs along the canal, putting up fencing, and towpath resurfacing. We all have different jobs at the Trust, paid and unpaid, but we’re one team, and we’ve got a common objective – trying to preserve our waterways.”
Among his many duties, Mike trains staff and volunteers in helming
With a background in IT and logistics, Mike was soon lending his considerable skills to other areas of our charity, designing various computer programmes and working as a Competency and Assessment Training Scheme (CAATS) assessor – one of our first volunteers to do so. In this role, Mike trains staff and volunteers in duties like helming and lock keeping, overseeing all the necessary compliance and safety assessments.
“It’s given me that sense of purpose I was looking for,” says Mike, reflecting on his time with the Trust. “It keeps you physically active and really keeps your mind sharp and focused. There are so many opportunities here, and we’ve got volunteers at all levels of the charity, from lock keeping to office management. I certainly didn’t think I’d be working in IT again after I retired!”
Our second winner, John Hatton, shared the award for Team of the Year with his fellow volunteers in the North West, following their sterling work on our heritage survey.
John was part of the team that carried out our heritage survey on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal
John lives in Wigan, once a hub for canal trade, and his connection to water runs deep. “I’ve always had an interest in canals,” he tells us. “My grandfather actually worked on the canals back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, so I don’t know if I’ve got blood or canal water running through my veins!”
John has been volunteering with his local Towpath Taskforce for three years, and when the opportunity to join our heritage survey came along, he was eager to get involved. As part of the pilot scheme, John and the team were tasked with documenting the centuries-old infrastructure along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
“I’ve got a keen interest in local history,” says John, “so it’s been really fascinating studying all the locks, bridges, and aqueducts. When you think about the skill, expertise, and the sheer manpower that went into building them, it’s phenomenal.”
Using a dedicated app on their mobile phones, the team have helped to document more than 1,000 historical assets along the 127-mile stretch of the canal. The survey was so successful, it’s set to be rolled out across the country.
Once completed, the information will be made available to the public, bringing our canals to life with a digital catalogue of photos, stories, and 3D models. Thanks to John and his fellow volunteers, we’ll have a permanent record of our changing network, enabling people to visit our historic canal system from anywhere in the world.
Join our growing team of amazing volunteers caring for our canals
If you’ve been inspired by Mike or John’s stories, why not take the plunge yourself and join our growing team of volunteers? We’re always on the lookout for new recruits of all ages. Whether you’re an IT expert like Mike, a history buff like John, or you’re simply looking for a new challenge, there’s something for everyone. You can find out more, have a go at a volunteering activity and meet our friendly team at our welcome sessions, just bring along your passion and help us make a difference to a canal near you.
