PRESS RELEASE – 27th November 2025
The Chesterfield Canal Trust has been awarded two community grants totalling over £15,000; one from the
Co-op and the other from the National Lottery Community Fund.
In October of 2024, the Trust was one of the causes for which Co-op members could vote to receive a grant from its Local Community Fund. When all the votes were totted up in October of this year, the Trust’s share was a wonderful £2,531.21. This will go towards restoring the canal and creating a great waterside space for the community and wildlife in Renishaw, with trees, picnic benches, wildflowers and aquatic habitats, all done by local volunteers.
Trustee Kath Auton said “We are incredibly grateful to the thousands of people who voted to support our cause. Our volunteer Work Party has already started the Rewatering Renishaw project. We are hoping to be recruiting some more volunteers from the local community next year.”
Then in late November, the Trust discovered that its bid to the National Lottery Community Fund had been accepted and it was awarded £12,880 from the Awards for All (Environment) programme. This programme is aimed at community-led projects that tackle the climate and nature emergency, improve the environment, and help people connect with and enjoy nature locally.The focus of the Trust’s bid was on recruiting new volunteers from the community, to care for and develop their local green spaces. They will work on the Chesterfield Canal in Derbyshire, managing habitats for nature recovery in the water and on land, to improve spaces which are open to the community. The team will be grown over the next two years, with a target of recruiting 10 existing volunteers and 20 new ones.
The bid also includes training of trainers in good ecological practice so that they can pass that on to the other volunteers. Some volunteers will be trained to carry out surveys to monitor improvements in the environment and the wellbeing of users. There will also be specialist equipment training for chainsaws and brush cutters.
The two year project will begin in February next year, though planning has already started.
The bid was written by the Trust’s Funding Officer, Ian Sesnan, and Steve Waller, who is a Trustee. Steve said “The Chesterfield Canal Trust is very grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund. Lots of people ask to help with our work, but proper training and getting the right equipment can be very expensive. This grant will enable us to really expand our operation so that local people will be able to look after their beautiful canal for the benefit of everyone.”
Rod Auton and Kath Auton receive the cheque from Co-op duty manager Kerry Beckingham.
Steve Waller driving a Truxor weedcutting boat.