Grant equips canal volunteers for success

A South Yorkshire canal conservation team has been given a helping hand after securing funding to upgrade equipment used to maintain a popular waterside route.

The Canal & River Trust has received £1315 from the Marr Wind Farm Community Fund to support its Towpath Taskforce volunteers, who maintain stretches of the Stainforth & Keadby Canal between Long Sandall and Mexborough.

Officials say the funding has paid for a powered multitool system, hand tools and protective equipment, helping volunteers tackle overgrown vegetation, clear litter and keep towpaths accessible.

Around a dozen volunteers take part in weekly maintenance sessions, contributing to the charity’s wider network of more than 5600 volunteers across England and Wales.

Paul Tonge, volunteer leader with the Canal & River Trust, said: “This is a really well-used route and our volunteers put in an awful lot of effort to keep it in peak condition, so that everyone gets to enjoy the best possible environment when they’re walking, running, cycling or sailing by.

“Most of our volunteers are retired waterway enthusiasts, and this project also gives them the chance to enjoy some time in the company of like-minded people, which can be just as important as the environmental side of things.

“Completing the different jobs that we take on can involve a lot of hard work, especially in the winter months, but the new equipment we’ve been able to bring in through this grant will speed things up and will make it much easier for our volunteers to keep on top of everything.

“Looking after the canal is a never-ending task and we’re very much reliant on donations for covering our costs, so we’re all really grateful for the generous support that we’ve had from the Marr Wind Farm fund.”

The community fund, linked to Marr Wind Farm and managed by Sunderland-headquartered OnPath Energy on behalf of owner ERG, distributes around £12,000 annually to local projects.

Melissa Falconer, head of business development UK at ERG, added: “For ERG, being a Good Neighbour means more than simply providing support. 

“It means sharing values, listening to the local community and making a tangible contribution to its development. 

“It means taking care of the places where we operate, supporting projects that make a positive difference to the community while protecting the wider environment.”

Tom Chaplin, partnership and community manager at OnPath Energy, added: “The members of the Towpath Taskforce are absolutely dedicated to looking after their local area and their work is exactly the sort of community improvement project that the Marr Wind Farm was set up to support.”

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