The Inland Waterways Association

Category: Volunteering

  • IWA Seeks New Trustees

    IWA Seeks New Trustees

    The role of IWA Trustees is to drive the direction of the charity, monitor its effectiveness in achieving its goals, and ensure the organisation meets its charitable objectives. As a member of the Board, an individual Trustee’s role is to use skills and judgement to work collaboratively with the other Trustees to:

    • Ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
    • Comply with the charity’s governing document and the law
    • Act in the charity’s best interests
    • Manage the charity’s resources responsibly
    • Act with care and skill
    • Ensure the charity is accountable and well managed

    We are looking to complement our existing Trustees and have identified the following skillsets that we think need
    strengthening:

    • Experience of engaging and enabling participation of younger people with the charity
    • Health and safety management
    • Funding/fundraising
    • Environment and sustainability
    • experience of restoration projects (not just waterways)
    • Marketing, membership and recruitment

    We would also welcome applications from individuals to apply if they think they have experience that would be valuable to the Association beyond those mentioned above. For example, we would like younger people (18 and over) to apply who may have very relevant skills and experience for growing IWA today.

    Candidates must be passionate about our campaigning: for sufficient funding for Britain’s waterways; the sustainable operation of navigations; restoration of closed waterways; and our work to make the waterways great places to live, work, travel, play, and for wildlife, nature recovery and mitigating climate change.

    Most Trustee meetings are held online. However, we feel it is important to meet in person and to visit sites and events from time to time. Reasonableexpenses are covered. We are committed to improving the diversity of our Board. We encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including those of varying ages, genders and minority ethnic backgrounds. Selection will be made on merit and the ability to best serve the Association’s charitable objectives, taking into account the current skills and experience of the Board. Candidates should have sufficient time available to be able to spend at least one to two days per month on IWA business

    The Application Pack contains information about the roles and responsibilities of Trustees and contact details in case you wish to discuss potentially applying. Applications will close at 12 noon on Friday 10th July 2026 (Note: extended closing date). Applicants will be asked to submit their CV, complete a skillset questionnaire, and submit a covering email rather than completing an application form.

  • IWA Milton Keynes Branch Clean-up fills two 16-tonne lorries

    IWA Milton Keynes Branch Clean-up fills two 16-tonne lorries

    Branch members were joined by volunteers from The Parks Trust, Buckingham Canal Society and the Electra Community Boat.  The event was supported by Canal & River Trust, and was sponsored by hire boat operators Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd.  Canal & River Trust lent its usual pre- and post-event support, but was unable to field staff or volunteers at the event itself.

    Wyvern Shipping also provided a tug, hire-boat Mallard, to tow the hopper, from which volunteers dragged the canal with grappling hooks to retrieve sunken items.  The hopper also received bags of rubbish collected by volunteers walking the towpath.  A Buckingham Canal Society workboat that was to collect any rubbish from the far side of the canal was unfortunately disabled by an underwater obstruction on the first morning, but there was little to collect.  Much appreciated refreshments at each break were provided by the tea boat that led the convoy.

    The usual mix of discarded items were found, including several supermarket trolleys, six tyres, four electric hire scooters, three bicycles, an outboard motor, a plastic barrel, a motor bike frame, two folding chairs, traffic cones, a damaged and abandoned dinghy, timber and domestic rubbish.  Four sunken boats were seen during the Clean-up.  Some silting of parts of the route was noticed.

    At Cosgrove, the rubbish was unloaded on Monday 13th from the work boats by contractors Smith Recycling Ltd for disposal.  Although the total load was probably about 7 tonnes, it filled two 16-tonne grab lorries due to its bulk.

    There were fewer volunteers on hand than some previous years – around 18 on the first day, 12 on the second – as, fortunately, the amounts to be cleared have reduced over the years because the clearances have had a very positive effect and have encouraged other local community clean-ups in the area.

    IWA Milton Keynes Branch Chairman Tim Armstrong said, “There was enough rubbish to keep the volunteers happily occupied without being overworked.  My thanks go to everyone who took part, whether organising, litter picking. working on boats or providing refreshments.” IWA Milton Keynes Branch was founded in 1976, fifty years ago.  Its first Clean-up is believed to have taken place in 1977.  In following years, one-day Clean-ups were staged irregularly at spot locations in Milton Keynes, until 1997, when they were expanded to become highly organised two- or three-day yearly or twice-yearly events.  The Clean-ups help to keep the city’s stretch of the Grand Union Canal safe and attractive for all users afloat and ashore, but it is sad that some people still treat the canal and its surroundings as a convenient rubbish dump.

    [The main photo shows a hopper and tug at Bridge 71b – by Pete Bickers]

  • Join the Canalway Cavalcade Committee

    Join the Canalway Cavalcade Committee

    IWA’s Canalway Cavalcade will return to London’s Little Venice for a 40th anniversary celebration between 29th April – 1st May 2023. The event is held annually over the three days of the early May Day Bank Holiday and is a vibrant waterways celebration. London’s Little Venice will be transformed with hundreds of colourful boats, live music, refreshment stands, craft stalls and family activities!  

    Boat bookings are now open for this unique festival – you can book online or download an application form from our website. The Canalway Cavalcade committee are seeking new members and volunteers so please do consider joining the fantastic team behind one of the most successful and best attended inland waterways events in the country.  

    Current vacancies include:  

    • Marketing & Social Media Assistant  
    • Secretary 
    • Site & Services Assistant 
    • Treasurer 

    All roles above require attendance at around 8 committee meetings per year, and the need for general availability during the week to take on duties attributed to the role. You will of course also be required to attend the event too. 

    For more information, or to register your interest in a committee role, please contact Christine Smith – christine.smith@waterways.org.uk. 

    If you are interested in helping out as a volunteer at the event, please complete our contact form here.