The Boating Association

The Canal & River Trust has some important news to share with you about the future of the nation’s canals – you may have already seen it in the press or wider communications in the past few days.  

Our much-loved canal network, which is so important to us in different ways, relies on funding from multiple sources: government grants being one of them.

Earlier this week the Government announced a new funding settlement, spanning from 2027 to 2037, to follow on from our current grant agreement. Whilst we welcome this further long-term commitment to the nation’s historic waterways, the amount awarded represents a steep reduction in funding of over £300 million in real terms over a ten-year period. A reduction that will have devastating consequences.

Such a drastic decrease will inevitably result in a decline of the overall condition of our waterway network, and, alarmingly, the possibility of canal closures. It puts at risk invaluable natural habitats, historic infrastructure, and cherished public spaces.

That’s why we’re reaching out to you, our passionate and engaged boating community, to join us in our mission to #KeepCanalsAlive.

Please take action by emailing your local MP.  

Tell your local MP how much you care about the canals and why they need to be funded properly. Urge the Government to reconsider its decision and protect our waterways for the future.

It only takes a few minutes to do this using our simple online tool. Just click on the link below and follow the instructions. If you’re a continuous cruiser your local MP can be considered as the one who represents the constituency where your mail is delivered.