What's happened to the IWA?

IT WAS many years ago that I boated the canals and was a volunteer for the IWA, I estimate 15, writes Joel Langley.

Stuck in lockdown I trolled the Web to see how my old organisation was doing, but was shocked, for then it was a campaigning organisation and I well remember it helped me when I had a 'problem,' with British Waterways, but now it is all about fancy online videos and with none of the old campaigning IWA apparent.  The only thing I could see of any use was that it still had its volunteers helping with restorations.

Joined forces with the 'enemy'

Then I read that it had 'joined forces' with the 'enemy', Canal & River Trust, whom surely it ought to be attacking for the way it [CaRT] is running the canals.

Trolling through your site, that I see still sticks up for the boaters and that often included my own words, it is easy to see that the canals are in a much worse condition than they were 15 years ago as then a stoppage was the exception, but now is the norm, and the IWA I knew would be having something to say about this on behalf of its boating members.

But of course joining with the Canal & River Trust it is obvious there has been a change of policy of not to rock the boat.

I would now be ashamed to be a member.