IWA corporate member Baldwin Trust is helping more people experience and enjoy the waterways, as part of a community project encouraging greater engagement with the River Soar in Leicester.
The Trust recently welcomed the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Kulwinder Singh Johal, aboard Halseyon Days, its wheelchair-accessible narrowboat. The trip was delivered in partnership with Canal & River Trust and gave the Lord Mayor an opportunity to meet passengers, experience the benefits of being on the water and even try his hand at steering.
Baldwin Trust is a delivery partner in ‘Restoring the Soar’, a National Lottery Heritage Funded project led by Leicester City Council in partnership with Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust and Canal & River Trust. The project aims to restore the River Soar while encouraging local communities to connect with and care for their waterways.
The Trust’s accessible boat trips are helping to make those waterways available to more people, particularly those living with disabilities, mental illness, social exclusion or isolation.
Richard Jayes, Acting Chair and Trustee of Baldwin Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Canal & River Trust to bring the experience of narrowboats to more people. Having the Lord Mayor with us to share the day has been superb.”
The July trips are part of a wider programme of activity designed to build community engagement with the River Soar and support wellbeing through access to the waterways.
