Boaters’ Easter regatta protest against surcharge 30th March – bus from K&A!

March 10th, 2024

There will be an Easter Regatta in protest against the surcharge on boat licence fees without a home mooring on Saturday 30th March 2024 at 12 noon. It will take place in Paddington Canal Basin in central London. There will be a demonstration, music, stalls and more. The march begins at the exit from Paddington Station to the canal.

There will be a minibus running from the K&A which will pick up at Pewsey and Bradford on Avon. Spaces are limited and selling fast, so get your tickets here https://buytickets.at/kanbta/1162660

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Please sign petition to keep the Bike Boat on the water

March 10th, 2024

Please sign the petition to keep The Bike Boat trading on the Kennet & Avon Canal – see https://www.change.org/p/get-the-canal-river-trust-to-let-the-bike-boat-to-continue-trading-on-the-kennet-avon

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Energy grants for boaters in Wiltshire who missed out on Government support – apply by 31st March

March 1st, 2024

Liveaboard boaters in Wiltshire who missed out on the Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme are being offered £400 by Wiltshire Council. If you did not get any winter fuel and food payments from Julian House, you can apply. The funding covers boaters on residential, leisure and other non-residential moorings. Anyone in Wiltshire who has previously missed out on funding needs to upload a PDF of their CRT licence, and the first 500 households will receive £400. Neither CRT nor any mooring companies or marinas etc will be involved in the application process. The deadline to apply is 31st March 2024. You can apply by phone, contact 0300 003 4576.

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Please oppose restricted opening all year for Caen Hill flight

February 10th, 2024

We have been alerted to the fact that CRT may be considering restricted opening hours all year round on a permanent basis for the Caen Hill flight in Devizes, should no objections be raised. The winter opening hours for Caen Hill (Locks 29-44) are 10am – 1pm every day, with last entry into the flight by 1pm.

Please object to this!

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Shower Tuesday is back at new time 5-7pm

February 10th, 2024

Shower Tuesday is back at the new time of 5-7pm, every Tuesday at the St James Centre, Estcourt Crescent, Devizes SN10 1LR. Also available are hot drinks, hot soup and rolls, and a warm space. The shower is fully accessible. Shower Tuesday is run by the Waterways Chaplaincy. All welcome.

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UK Boaters for Energy Justice – please sign petition

February 9th, 2024

More than 18 months on, many boat dwellers have still not been able to obtain the energy support payments which were promised to all households in the UK in 2022. Boat dwellers who legitimately have leisure moorings or ‘high use’ moorings, and boat dwellers without a home mooring on non-CRT waterways, are still excluded, as are some other groups such as Gypsies and Travellers living on the road. These groups still face a doubling in energy costs with no support.

Boaters in Wiltshire have launched a petition in the next phase of their campaign calling for access to two energy support payments which were promised to all eligible households in the UK.

Please sign and share the petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/get-vital-ps600-energy-bill-support-to-remaining-off-grid-households-currently-excluded-from-support

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Charging us more for less – CRT facilities policy

February 9th, 2024

CRT’s policy statement and report on its 2022 consultation on a minimum standard for boaters’ facilities, published on 30th May and 5th July 2023, states that CRT will increase its minimum cruising distance between facilities from 4 hours to 1 day, even though 25% to 35% of respondents (depending on the specific facility) thought a gap of 5 hours was too great. Since then we have had multiple reports of CRT closing facilities all around the waterways.

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CHANGE OF PLAN FOR Protest and engagement against the surcharge, 27th January, Dun Mill Lock, Hungerford

January 25th, 2024

WE HAVE CHANGED THE PLAN FOR SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY, AS CRT HAS CANCELLED THE OPEN DAY…….

WE WILL MEET AT DUN MILL LOCK AT 10.30AM AND WALK UP THE TOWPATH TO HUNGERFORD TOWN CENTRE. WE WILL LEAFLET THE PUBLIC ON THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER THE CANAL AND UNDER THE BRIDGE.

THEN WE WILL GO TO THE PUB AND DISCUSS MORE ACTIONS AGAINST CRT’S UNJUST SURCHARGE!!

Protest and engagement against the surcharge, 27th January, meet at Dun Mill Lock at 10.30am. Join us to protest against the surcharge on boats without a home mooring and engage with the public to get their support!

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Wiltshire Council to investigate removal of parking in Wilcot

January 11th, 2024

Around 12 liveaboard boaters attended the meeting of Wilcot Parish Council on 9th January 2024. There was discussion of a letter from a boater to Wiltshire Councillor Paul Oatway objecting that the rubble and earth banks in the lane by the canal were constructed without planning consent and were an unauthorised waste disposition. Two boaters spoke in the public question time.

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K&A User Forum, 24th January, Devizes

January 8th, 2024

There will be a Kennet & Avon Canal User Forum on Wednesday 24th January 2024 from 10:30 to 12:30. The in-person forum will be held at the St James Centre, Estcourt Crescent, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1LR. CRT’s Sarah Cook says “Please join us for some short presentations, have your questions answered and an opportunity to talk to us directly.”

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