Yesterday's organisation

I READ with some interest the piece 'IWA pinch our slogan!' from Allan Richards. It reminded me of a comment by the late Mandy Rice Davies who died last month. Which I shall paraphrase as 'the IWA would do that wouldn't they!' Writes Mick Fitzgibbons.

Well the Inland Waterways Association has been fast tracking itself for some time into becoming yesterday's boating organisation. Which is a shame and must have Messrs Rolt and Aickman revolving at high speed. Trying to be everything to everyone and in reality achieving very little. In a way I'm not surprised that the IWA seems to be a failing organisation that has already divested itself of the mantle of being a campaigning organisation for the waterways.

Cosy relationship

Achieved through the simple expedient of a memorandum of understanding with CaRT. You can't sleep in a bed with the Trust in a cosy relationship and keep any notion of independence. But that's not all, there were the follow on—issues such as the hijacking the election of representatives to the CaRT council. Which certainly helped to tarnish what was left of the glitz even further.

So ask yourself when did your see or hear from your IWA elected representatives?

I tried to find out and raised a Freedom of Information request with the Trust:

Dear Canal & River Trust,

I was interested to read the article in Aprils Boaters Update penned by Ivor Caplan. The article was a request for information on how to bring younger people into boating.

I was intrigued by the comment. "I know from speaking with many boaters, particularly those involved with organisations such as boat clubs, societies and trusts, how important they see this issue and I would appreciate receiving any comments."

I have searched the trusts website and I am unable to find a list of visits planned by our representatives either in the past or in the future at clubs, societies, trusts and other organisations.

Can you supply a list of previous and future planned visits (venue, time and date) made by the various boater representatives. - Ann Farrell, Chris Bailey, Clive Henderson, Ivor Caplan and Vaughan Welch.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours faithfully,
Michael Fitzgibbons

The reply:

Dear Mr Fitzgibbons,

Thank you for your e-mail which I received last Friday.

Having considered your request, I am writing to let you know that we do not consider the information you have requested to be subject to the limited application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to Canal & River Trust.

Franz Kafka is in Milton Keynes.

It was something of a Kafkaesque reply from the Trust, one in which I discovered that I could vote to elect a boaters representative. But I could not ask what the representative was doing about meeting with the electorate or doing on my behalf without my knowledge. Our MP's in Westminster could learn a great deal from the Trust about obfuscation. And what happened to that openness, accountability and transparency that was promised?

The Trust could have stated that they did not have the information. The very fact that they did not is in itself an indication that it does not hold such information.

Then I had a follow up from Roger Hanbury Head of Governance Services:

As I understand it, your concern is that we have, in your view, refused to make available details of meetings which you believe the Boater representatives on the Trust Council are holding with boaters, boat clubs, societies and trusts [in connection with their interest in attracting young people to boating.]

Deflect

Note the addition of the extra [bit] to deflect away from what I originally asked for, which was 'Can you supply a list of previous and future planned visits (venue, time and date) made by the various boater representatives. Ann Farrell, Chris Bailey, Clive Henderson, Ivor Caplan and Vaughan Welch'.

He was referring to Ivor Caplan's comment published on the CaRT website which he was somehow and mistakenly attributing to me. "I know from speaking with many boaters, particularly those involved with organisations such as boat clubs, societies and trusts, how important they see this issue and I would appreciate receiving any comments."

Gave up

I gave up—it was a waste of time—secrecy is obviously paramount and the Trust does not want boaters other than the chosen few to know or be aware of what the elected representatives have been doing in our name. As far as I can see our representatives have been deafeningly silent since the first day that they arrived.

So which organisation actually campaigns on behalf of boaters. I shall treat that as a rhetorical question and answer it myself. I believe at this moment in time that the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO) is the only real campaigning organisation that is truly representative of all boaters. Radical and representative of all boaters without fear or favour.

If you want to read through the full FoI exchange you will find it here:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/planed_visits#incoming-524844