Taking advantage of our unique position as the only independent, national charity dedicated to supporting and regenerating all of Britain’s navigable rivers and canals, we produced the Waterways for Today report. It can be used by waterways organisations to highlight the value and importance of the waterways network. This is particularly relevant for anyone in discussions about funding for a waterways project.

The Waterways for Today report demonstrates how rivers and canals can contribute to the country’s economic recovery and why the ongoing maintenance and regeneration of Britain’s navigable waterways is essential. It outlines the 12 most significant ways that inland waterways can benefit the economy, environment, local communities and lives of individual people.

By assembling diverse evidence and case studies from across the sector, the report sets out how waterway regeneration and restoration projects can revitalise rural and urban economies and improve the lives of millions of people. It shows how improvements to navigable waterways and the restoration of abandoned canals and rivers can act as a catalyst for wider investment and regeneration.