Positive volunteer experience

OUR experience of the volunteers, over the summer has been largely positive, writes Martin Howes.

At Atherstone, where we passed twice, on the way up, a volunteer ‘assisted' at the top of the flight by organising the traffic where inexperience could have been catastrophic, and opening/closing the odd gate.

Never expected

On narrow canals, I have never expected full lock operation from a lock keeper even when they were full time. I do expect them to keep an eye on the installation and report faults, and also undertake basic maintenance, which they seem to do.

On the Thames, their role is more proactive, and they take their responsibilities seriously, but again, even where there are full time personnel, they are not always on duty and self operation is expected. Please don't take it out on volunteers if you feel the Trust is not keeping up to its responsibilities. Complain to the right people.