Britain's inland waterway system is part of our national heritage and provides the backbone for many of our communities.
It is a unique linear park offering historical, environmental and recreational resources that enhance the lives of tens of millions of our citizens.
It constitutes a thread running through urban and rural areas that in some areas have become national jewels although in others a national disgrace.
As a whole, the system deserves funding at a level that ensures adequate maintenance in the immediate term and continued restoration and expansion in the medium and long term.
Particular attention needs to be given to the maintenance backlog which currently amounts to some £100 million, of which arrears total £10 million.
"Save Our Waterways" (SOW) is a campaign dedicated to securing the long term future of our inland waterways.
"Save Our Waterways" started as an informal action group, dedicated to taking the campaign against the cuts made by DEFRA to communities along our canals and rivers. "Save Our Waterways" embraces all waterways users (anglers, boaters, canoeists, cyclists, runners, walkers, etc.) and those who live and work beside the waterways.
During the process of catalysing dozens of protest events and gathering over 40,000 signatures on our petition, we realised that most users of the waterway are unrepresented.
So, just 18 months later, we decided to transform SOW into a membership based organisation that could represent the what we call the casual users of our inland waterways.
As stated in the Constitution of our newly created membership based organisation into our Save Our Waterways is dedicated:
To campaign:
a) to secure the long term future of the inland waterways of Great Britain.
b) to ensure that the waterways receive adequate funding and effective maintenance and management.
c) to protect the waterways as part of our national heritage to ensure that they continue to provide leisure, recreation, transport and employment.
d) by providing a forum for all who want thriving and vibrant waterways for work or pleasure.
e) in collaboration with any group or organisation that shares the above aims.
Several people have pointed out that at first read our constitution is not that much different from that of other waterways groups. In a way, that shouldn't be surprising as we are all aiming for the same overall objective - the long term future of our inland waterways, but the point does deserve some explanation.
More specifically, local residents of riparian communities, dog walkers, recreational walkers, workers and owners of businesses that rely on trade from those that use the waterways, the family that is lucky enough to live in a community that has a waterway passing through, etc., etc. If they visit the waterways - even just to have a drink in a local waterside pub - they are potential members.
Our annual subscription of £5 is designed to be within reach of these users and our aim is to involve those who do join to help us inform a wider section their community about the importance of their local waterway. These are our future members. We met many of them when we were protesting about the cuts and gathering signatures on our petition. We were surprised how many of them seemed unaware that it that budgets had been cut to the point where an optimum maintenance program couldn't be sustained. The quote of BW Chief Executive, Robin Evans came in handy on such occasions, "It costs £125 million to run BW's waterways, we have £100 to spend". Why do we need to get ordinary users involved in the campaign?
After being instrumental in staging 49 protest events across the country, and recognising that non-specialist users could become an important part of the campaign, SOW is now determined to make casual users aware of how important the waterway system is to the well-being of the local community.
This is not a new idea, it was actually proposed by Government in 1999 in the well regarded publication, 'Waterways for Tomorrow' (WFT). Here is what it said:
There is scope for British Waterways to develop a closer relationship with the millions of people who use its facilities, only a small proportion of whom own boats or take holidays on the waterways. Last year we asked British Waterways to consult on options for a membership scheme which would give members a range of benefits in return for an annual fee. These included being able to nominate a person for appointment as a Board Member if membership reached 100,000.
Surprisingly, although market research carried out by British Waterways revealed significant public interest in the waterways, a strong desire for more information at a local level, and a perception of the waterways as a valued and accessible national asset that was worthy of donation, until SOW, the challenge was not taken up.
Waterways for Tomorrow is a well thought out document that outlines long term plans for our inland waterways. Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott had a big hand in it, and it marked the beginning of a sustained period of Government investment in the waterways. There is a movement amongst many influential Government circles that WFT should be updated and again given centre of place in guiding and securing the future of the waterways. SOW supports that view and believes that having the support casual users of the waterways as well as specialist users like boaters, anglers, cyclists, etc., will add weight to the argument.
Another statement from that seminal document stands out:
The waterways provide not only a major leisure and recreational resource: they act as a catalyst for urban and rural regeneration; they form an important part of our heritage; and they make a valuable contribution to the environment.
This is Government clearly acknowledging that a well maintained and vibrant waterway system brings important benefits to public enjoyment and recreation, elsewhere in WFT Government also contributes to jobs and trade thuse improving local economies along the length of the waterways. All of which begs the question, did Defra really think this out before they made the cuts? Clearly, any sort of budgetary restriction is going to have a negative effect on those local economies
Having accepted the challenge, SOW is confident that offering low cost representation to casual users is a viable way of making the general public - and through them, local and national government - more aware of the plight facing our waterways. SOW believe this can be achieved without interfering with the integrity and aims of existing user groups. In fact, by reaching out to the general public, we believe that user groups and canal societies will benefit from the additional publicity.
Read about our Campaign Issues.
Find out how you can help.
Campaign Document (pdf)
Read the Save Our Waterways timeline.
Read about the United Campaign Against Waterway Funding Cuts.
Download campaign publicity materials.