One of the things I love most about our canals and rivers is how many different lives they touch. A photo shared this week with the Fund Britain’s Waterways community brought that home beautifully.
Flying the flag on the water
Shirley Sefton posted a warm thank-you to the Pool of Life breast cancer paddlers from Liverpool for supporting the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign. The pictures say it all: a group of dragon boat paddlers, kit on and ready to race, with one of them wearing the familiar red-and-white “Fund Britain’s Waterways” flag draped across her shoulders like a cape. It is exactly the sort of moment that makes you smile — a team who take to the water for their own brilliant reasons, taking a moment to stand up for the waterways they paddle on. The post was shared in the Fund Britain’s Waterways Facebook group.
Paddlers like these are a reminder that boaters are only part of the story. Dragon boat crews, rowers, canoeists, wild swimmers, anglers and towpath walkers all rely on healthy, well-maintained water — and when they lend their support, the campaign’s voice grows that little bit louder.
Why the campaign matters
Fund Britain’s Waterways is a coalition of more than a hundred and sixty organisations speaking up for the hundreds of thousands of people who use and love Britain’s canals and rivers. Its message is a simple one: our waterways need sustainable, long-term government funding to stay open, safe and full of life. Every group that gets behind it — whether they arrive by narrowboat or dragon boat — helps show just how broad that love of the water really is.
If you would like to add your support too, please sign the petition at change.org/p/fundbritainswaterways and share it on with #FundBritainsWaterways. Every signature counts.
