General Manager latest departure from K&A Canal Trust

The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, which over the last year has been making drastic changes to the way it is run following years of heavy financial losses, has announced further changes as it tries to address its financial and managerial problems.

K&A Canal Trust General

Manager, Mike Rodd.

Picture by Bob Naylor

General Manager to go

Having put its General Manager, Mike Rodd, onto part-time working recently, the Trust has now announced that he will be leaving the job at the end of the year. The Trust received a £75,000 grant from Kennet District Council to part-fund the post for three years on the basis of an application that said that the post would be self-financing through the General Manager's fundraising activities within the period of the grant. 

   To cease the appointment only two years into the three-year life of the grant could leave a question mark over any public money that may have been paid in advance to finance the post.

Healer appointed to minister to ailing Trust finances

Complementary health practitioner and qualified accountant, Suzanne Gaia has been appointed Treasurer. Her website says that she practices Reike, Angel and Ascension and it explains: "Angels are messengers from the Divine Source. They are very high frequency beings with no will of their own, they only carry out the will of the Divine Source." And: "Ascension means raising our level of consciousness up into a higher dimension. Our bodies are made up of millions of cells which are constantly vibrating. This is our level of vibration, otherwise known as our vibrational frequency. The more 'spiritual' we are, the faster our bodies vibrate, which increases our level of vibration. This means that our light body increases. The faster our body cells are vibrating, the higher the levels of light are in those cells."

   When Suzanne Gaia married Doug Stanley last year they had a civil wedding in Marlborough at which they both wore traditional Indian costume and they then held their reception and spent their honeymoon in a tepee at the Barge Inn beside the K&A Canal at Honeystreet.

Neil Lethby

Picture by Bob Naylor

Stand-in Chairman

Following the departure of Trust Chairman David Rees after less than nine months in the role, the Trust's treasurer, Neil Lethby, who had already given notice of standing down as treasurer, agreed to fill the post of Chairman until the end of the year.  Thanking Neil for his time as Treasurer a Trust spokesman said: "The Trust is extremely grateful for Neil’s nearly four years in this role, taking the Trust through some very difficult times."

David Inight

Picture by Bob Naylor

New Vice Chairman/Acting Chairman 

David Inight has been made Vice Chair of Trust Council, with special responsibility for developing relationships with the Branches, and for heading up a volunteering programme. David is also Chair of the Bradford on Avon Branch, Director of Boats and a Director of the KACT Enterprise Board. He will take over as acting chairman when Neil Lethby stands down at the end of the year.

Trustee comings and goings

At a recent Canal User’s Forum it was said that Mike Rodd had chaired the pilot K&A Local Partnership Board meeting. A Trust statement says: "The Council’s intention is to co-opt Mike as a Trustee as soon as possible after he steps down as General Manager, so that he can continue to play a major role in the Trust and maintain the many fruitful relationships that he has developed over the past two years, both within the Trust and with external agencies."

     The Trust has announced that Pauline King and Suzanne Gaia have been co-opted to the Trust Council but Harry Willis the Chairman of the Crofton Branch who was elected as a Trustee at the AGM in June is not listed as a Trustee in the Trust's magazine, The Butty.

Recruitment of new Trustees with 'specific skills'

The Trust says it has a current need for on-going recruitment of additional Trustees to bring specific skills to the management of the Trust. If you are interested, or want any further explanation about these recent changes, please contact Mike Rodd either by e-mail at: gm@katrust.org.uk  or by phone on 01380 721279.


Recent K&A Canal Trust stories:

Trust needs media manager

Trust seeks treasurer to see it through 'financially difficult times' 

Continuing cuts and departures at troubled K&A Canal Trust

K&A Canal Trust cash crisis

Resignation setback for BW's 'Third Way' plans

BW announce head of Waterways Partnership Board for the Kennet & Avon Canal

Canal Trust support Aldermaston Wharf housing development

The development — viewed across the canal

Plans to develop the former Reading Marine base at Aldermaston Wharf have been submitted to West Berks Council by H2O, a partnership company formed by British Waterways and Bloc.

The plans developed following consultation with local residents, Padworth Parish Council, the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust and English Heritage include 13 new houses and they also include plans for the restoration of the listed visitor centre and toll house. 

During the consultation David Copley, Chairman of the Reading Branch of the K&A Canal Trust said, “We would prefer there to be no more development at this site, but these are difficult times and we realise that British Waterways has to find funds from wherever it can get them. “One of our main concerns is that there must be enough parking so that visitors can park and get to the canal — and it is important that the development doesn’t detract from the Trust visitor centre.”

The plans now propose the relocation of the visitor centre car park but they will retain the 14 parking spaces for visitors. In re-locating the car park careful consideration has been given to the setting of the listed visitor centre and the Conservation Area. 

Canal Trust support for development
Speaking at this year's K&A Canal Trust AGM the newly elected Chairman, David Rees said, “BW are offering the Trust the buildings at Aldermaston for £1.

"... we will consider accepting these buildings from them as a gift... and I also asked for an endowment of £40,000 to £50,000"

     “When I met them I said to them that in principle we will consider accepting these buildings from them as a gift — but two things have to happen, they have to be restored to a quality and standard the Trust will want to see for the future and I also asked for an endowment of £40,000 to £50,000 of working capital to be able to pay the staff and do what we want to do there.

"... the Trust would probably want to support your planning application — and you can get five or six million pounds from your development and in return we will promote it with you.”

He continued, “And they said to me, ‘what will you give us for that?’ and I said to them, the Trust would probably want to support your planning application — and you can get five or six million pounds from your development and in return we will promote it with you." He concluded, “And they didn’t blink an eyelid — so we have an opportunity at Aldermaston.”

Since making this statement David Rees has parted company with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust and the K&A Canal Trust has made the manager of the Visitor Centre and café/shop  redundant. The cafe shop is now being run by a private operator, Wayne Sangwell. 
Visit his website at: http://www.kaalder.350.com/home.htm

Proposed housing in Basingstoke Road, Aldermaston

Previous story at: 
http://kacanaltimes.co.uk/aldermaston.htm

K&A Canal Trust cash crisis
Cash strapped Trust makes General Manager part time, cuts staff and launches a new fundraising drive in a desperate bid to balance the books

David Rees

Resignation setback for BW's 'Third Way' plans

By Bob Naylor


British Waterways' pilot of its Third Sector plans on the Kennet & Avon Canal has been dealt a blow with the sudden departure of K&A Canal Trust Chairman, David Rees.

BW announce head of Waterways Partnership Board for the Kennet & Avon Canal

British Waterways has chosen David Rees, Chairman of the K&A Canal Trust, to head up its planned local Waterway Partnership Board to govern the 87-mile navigation that runs from Hanham on the River Avon near Bristol to Reading on the River Thames.

This pilot scheme is part of British Waterways plans to become a civil society organisation — in effect a 'National Trust'  for the waterways.

BW will work with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust to pilot this Waterway Partnership Board to demonstrate that working in a local partnership can help to manage and maintain the canal corridor effectively. 

British Waterways’ Chief Executive, Robin Evans said, "We hope that a wide variety of interested parties reflecting the diversity of groups that use the canal will come forward to be part of the Local Waterway Partnership Board.

“Over 13 million people visit the waterways each year, and there are more than 34,000 licensed boats on the waterways we manage. The Kennet & Avon Canal is a popular and much-loved waterway with an established Canal Trust. We hope that this pilot will demonstrate that giving local communities a role in the management of their waterway — together with a real sense of ownership — will create improved and sustainable waterways for the future.”

David Rees, Chairman of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, who will chair the board, said, “This is a real opportunity for interested members of society along the length of the canal to participate in the shaping of this waterway that this year celebrates its 200^th anniversary.”

BW say that the Kennet & Avon Canal has been chosen to pilot the proposals because the K&A Canal Trust has, over the last 50 years, been largely responsible for the restoration of the canal which now stands as a testament to the work of those early volunteers.

BW and the K&A Canal Trust worked together succesfully in the past to get the £25m Heritage Lottery Grant in 1997,  enabling the canal to be restored to its present state.

The new board will focus on the promotion and maintenance of a sustainable future for the Kennet & Avon Canal and it is intended that the Board will influence the formulation of a waterway plan that will look at opererations, development and fundraising.

The Board will have up to 12 members who will reflect the full range of interests in the waterway. BW have been looking for expressions of interest from individuals with commitment and relevant experience, including people from the public and private sectors, local communities, interest groups and individuals who may have technical knowledge, such as engineers, ecologists and environmentalists as well as  people who have experience in with people from the local community, fundraising, marketing and communications as well as boaters, anglers, cyclists and walkers. 

The first meeting will be in September and the pilot board will be in place for up to 18 months, meeting every six to eight weeks  along the Kennet & Avon Canal.