One of the loveliest things about following the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign is watching how the towpath spirit spills over into the villages and pubs that sit alongside our canals and rivers.
A friendly stop in Cheshire
Over on the Fund Britain’s Waterways Facebook group, Shirley Sefton shared a smile-raising photo from the village of Little Leigh in Cheshire, where the Leigh Arms has been giving its backing to the campaign. A cheerful group gathered outside the old whitewashed pub, holding up the familiar red-and-white “Fund Britain’s Waterways” banner, with a basket of campaign leaflets and literature set out inside for visitors to pick up. It is exactly the sort of everyday, grassroots support that keeps a campaign like this going: a welcoming local, a handful of friends, and a banner in the sunshine.
Cheshire has been very much at the heart of the campaign this summer, with the flotilla out on the Weaver and the Manchester Ship Canal, so it is heartening to see a village pub like the Leigh Arms doing its bit too. Many thanks to them for the warm welcome.
Why it matters
Fund Britain’s Waterways is a coalition of more than 160 organisations speaking up for the hundreds of thousands of people who use and love Britain’s canals and rivers – boaters, walkers, anglers, paddlers, cyclists and everyone who simply enjoys being near the water. The campaign is calling for sustainable, long-term government funding so that our waterways are properly maintained and protected for future generations, rather than left to fall into disrepair through years of underfunding. Moments like this one at the Leigh Arms are a reminder that this network belongs to whole communities, not just to those aboard the boats.
If you would like to help, please do sign the petition and spread the word using #FundBritainsWaterways. Every signature helps make the case that our canals and rivers are worth saving.
