Canal Trust trip boat needs crew

If you want to help to crew a public trip boat on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Devizes — then the local canal trust will welcome you — and give you any training you need.

The K&A Canal Trust trip boat Kenavon Venture moored in front of the Devizes Wharf building it is soon to vacate.
Picture by Bob Naylor

The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust that operates the Kenavon Venture from Devizes Wharf is now looking for more volunteers to help to crew it and has organised a public meeting at the Canal Centre on Devizes Wharf for Thursday 31 March to recruit new members.

The desperate financial situation at the K&ACanal Trust was not improved last year when this trip boat only managed to break even and the Trust say that to operate it this year a further 20 volunteer are needed to help the existing group of 30 members.

This call for help comes as the Trust has announced its departure from the iconic canalside former warehouse on Devizes Wharf that has been home to its offices and museum since the 1980s.

The Trust's worsening financial situation caused by falling membership numbers, a total failure to win funding from grant giving bodies and the poor performance of its trading arm has left it unable to afford to stay there.

K&A Canal Trust Enterprise Ltd have three other volunteer run trip boats that do make money but the Trusts cafés at Bradford on Avon, Newbury and Aldermaston have now been put in the hands of commercial operators with no Trust volunteer involvement with them now.