Yesterday the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust presented former K&A manager Mark Stephens with the Trust’s John Gould Award for 2014. The award is presented to a person or group who has “undertaken noteworthy actions or deeds for the Kennet & Avon Canal in the past year”.
The Trust presented Mr Stephens with the award at its AGM in recognition of his work as waterway manager between 2009 and 2014 in which he obtained more funds for maintenance and repairs and left the waterway in a considerably improved state compared to when he took over. Mark Stephens was popular with both staff and boaters, and had an amicable relationship with the liveaboard community on the K&A. He was promoted to become Work Development Manager in CRT’s new Asset Delivery Team (that designs maintenance engineering works) in November 2014.
John Gould, who died in 1999, ran a pair of narrowboats trading from Newbury in the late 1940s. He initiated the campaign to restore the K&A between 1950 and 1990.
See also
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/new-waterways-managers-at-crt/
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/mark-stephens-to-leave-ka/
Tags: John Gould, K&A restoration, Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, Mark Stephens