Volunteer Awards

The volunteers of the West Country Branch of the Inland Waterways Association have recently been presented with two awards, which together amount to a significant endorsement of the work they have been undertaking on the local waterways over many years.

_{Left: The Keep Sedgemoor Tidy Award}

_{Right: Mike Slade, IWA Volunteer Co-ordinator, West Country Branch, with Steve Manzi, CRT Volunteer Development Co-ordinator for Wales and the South West.}

The first award was presented by the Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council at a “Keep Sedgemoor Tidy” event on 1 July at the Canal Centre, adjacent to the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal on the outskirts of Bridgwater.  The event recognised the achievements of a number of volunteer groups throughout Sedgemoor and included “Rage against Rubbish”, a volunteer group which organises a monthly work party on the waterways using their kayaks.

_{Right: Mike Slade and Ray Alexander receive the Keep Sedgemoor Tidy award from the Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council.}

The second award was from Canal & River Trust and was presented by Steve Manzi, CRT Volunteer Development Co-ordinator for Wales and the South West, at a ceremony on 20 July held at the Victoria Park Community Centre in Bridgwater.  This recognised the completion of 25,000 hours of volunteer activity on the Bridgwater & Taunton canal under the two 5-mile adoption agreements between IWA and CRT and illustrates the great support being given by IWA volunteers to CRT.  The ceremony was attended by several of our volunteers and CRT staff as well.