Volunteering is fun!
Volunteering is a brilliant way to meet people, make new friends, get some fresh air and exercise and perhaps learn new skills and you don’t even have to be a Trust member to come along and help at one of our work parties. There is a map at the bottom of the page showing the locations we regularly work at.
If physical work is not your thing, there are many other ways you could help. Here are some of them.
If you have skill or expertise in any of the following areas we need you:
The law
Accountancy
Office Management
Experience in dealing with Local Authority Planning departments
Food Hygiene
IT and social media
Marketing
Managing Archives
Fundraising
Website Management
To make a general enquiry about volunteering please email us at volunteering@sncanal.org.uk
Regular Work Parties
Newport: Every 1st Saturday of the month, 10am – 4.00pm. Workparty leader is John Myers. Please contact him for further information by emailing editor@sncanal.org.uk
Work going on here is general site maintenance including, at the appropriate times in the year, Himalayan Balsam control and hedge-laying. Also when the Waterway Recovery Group visit us there are larger tasks undertaken, which in the past have included digging out the canal bed, stonework, brickwork, drain laying etc. Meet at the Black Shed, Water Lane TF10 7LD (see map). The grid references for the actual work sites at Newport are:
SJ 753 201 – Meretown Lock
SJ 744 194 – Black Shed
SJ 752 199 – Norbroom Park, accessed via Vineyard Road
Wappenshall TF6 6DE: Every Friday and Saturday, 09.00am – 4.00pm. Work Party leader is Phil Jones. Please contact him for further information 07935 134116.
Warehouse restoration and re-watering the East Basin are the main activities here, which involves brick-laying, lime mortaring, carpentry, electrical installation, plumbing, plastering etc. Grounds maintenance is also required (grass cutting, weeding etc). Other activities include concreting, drainage installation, painting, scrap metal recycling. There’s always plenty to do!
Shrewsbury: Every Tuesday, plus the first and last Saturday of the month, 09:30am – 4.00pm. Work Party leader is Chas Warren, please contact him for further information 07734 878777.
Work is generally site maintenance, clearing the tow path, tree felling and stump removal, bridge and brickwork renovation.
Occasional Work Parties
Forton:
Here we have been digging out the canal bed and laying a liner ready for re-watering. Please contact John Myers 07711 858986 for details including dates.
Approximate grid reference: SJ 756 209
Car Insurance Alert for Volunteers
Some insurance companies require that they are informed if your car is to be used for Volunteering purposes. The distinction between volunteer driving (such as taking people to the doctors or hospital) and driving to a work party or other place to carry out volunteer work is unclear. Volunteers for SNCT are advised to check whether their insurance company requires to be informed. You can find the list of companies by following this external link: https://www.abi.org.uk/globalassets/sitecore/files/documents/publications/public/migrated/motor/volunteer-driving—the-motor-insurance-commitment2.pdf