Volunteering

The Trust is run entirely by volunteers. This means that we do not get paid for what we do; it does not mean that we are amateurish or sloppy. In fact much of the work done is of a superbly professional standard. This is not surprising when you find out who is doing it. Our magazine is laid out by a graphic designer; our Training Officer is a full time trainer for the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service. All these people have the common aim of seeing the Chesterfield Canal fully restored and working and so are willing to give up their spare time to see this dream fulfilled. There is a huge range of opportunities available. Below we list the activities that occur regulary. We occasionally put out appeals for help at one-off events.If you would like further information, please click on the relevant email address.

Archiving
We have a small group which meets frequently at Hollingwood Hub. They go through the huge volumes of papers, leaflets, letters, maps, minutes, leases, photographs, magazines etc. that get donated to the Trust. They sort them out and file them. This is a very slow, but very interesting process and lots of wonderful, forgotten information has come to light. The result is a treasure trove for future historians as well as very useful currently for the Trust. To find out more, email archive@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Cuckoo Boat
We have a Cuckoo boat called Dawn Rose, unique to our canal. This has been built from scratch using the original methods – no power tools. It was launched in the Spring of 2015. It is used for horse boating demonstrations, has open days and runs boat-pulls where friends or organisations can raise money through sponsorship. Volunteers are needed to run and maintain the boat as well as staff it at events. To find out more, email dawnrose@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Festival
When we hold Festivals, we need people in the planning stages and lots on the days before and during the festival. To find out more, email festival@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Fundraising
If you have experience of running fundraising campaigns and/or applying for grants, please email secretary@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk. If you have no experience, but would like to find out more, please get in touch.

Gardening
The garden at Hollingwood Hub, needs constant attention. Planting and weeding are year round tasks. You are welcome to go and do a bit at any time. To find out more, email contact@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Hollingwood Hub Information Centre and Shop
Our Information Centre and Shop at Hollingwood Hub is open virtually every day of the year. We need volunteers to staff it, usually between 11 and 3. To find out more, email publicity@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Maintenance Team
This is a new group of volunteers set up to look after the new sections of canal that are currently under construction at Staveley and Renishaw. At present they water all the new trees on a regular basis, doo weedcutting and loock after locks. To find out more, email maintenance@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Maintenance in North Nottinghamshire and Rotherham
We have an ex-British Waterways work boat called Python. It is 95 years old. It does regular clean-ups and vegetation cutting. It is part of a Green Social Prescribing initiative. A dedicated group of volunteers look after it and sometimes take it to canal events in the summer months. They always need volunteers for all its activities. To find out more, email python@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Maintenance in Derbyshire
This might be a mile where you walk regularly and will do a litter pick. It might be the bywash of a lock that you will agree to clear two or three times a week. It might be a picnic area that you will keep clean. It might be a notice board that you will keep up to date. The joy of this plan is that you can do it at a time that suits you.
There will be other, less frequent jobs, such as painting lock gates, fixing broken benches, repairing fences or cutting back vegetation. These would be done under the direction of the Derbyshire Countryside Service.
The idea is not to do the Rangers jobs for them. It is to relieve them of simple tasks that anyone can do, so that they have more time to do the more complicated, skilled or more dangerous work for which they are trained.
All the work will be overseen by the DCC Countryside Service, but the Trust is responsible for H&S, insurance etc. All volunteers will be briefed and trained before starting their duties. To find out more, email maintenance@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Professional expertise
To help progress the restoration, we would really benefit from some professional assistance (preferably on a pro bono basis) in the following areas: Solicitor, Construction Estimator and Construction Planner. For more information, click here.

Promotional trailer
We have a trailer, called the James Brindley, that we take to all sorts of events throughout the year to tell the public about the canal and the Trust. It is sometimes used purely for promotional purposes, e.g. in town centres, but is often accompanied by our gazebo running fundraising activities such as tombola, booksales etc. We need volunteers with a vehicle equipped with a towing bracket to drive it to and from the venue and help set up the trailer as well as staff it. This is hugely rewarding, because so many people tell us how much they love the canal. To find out more, email promotions@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Tapton Lock Visitor Centre
We have reopened Tapton Lock Visitor Centre. We need volunteers to help to staff it, look after the grounds etc. To find out more, email taptonlock@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Trip Boats
We currently run four tripboats – the John Varley ll based at Tapton Lock in Chesterfield, Madeline based at Hollingwood Hub, the Hugh Henshall based at Shireoaks in Worksop and the Seth Ellis based in Ranby. All four do special public trips as well as charters. We need crews to run the trips – skippers, lock operators, stewards etc. – plus further people for maintenance. The more volunteers we have the better; it is not uncommon for boats to be out on five or more days a week in the summer months. If you decide that this is for you, we will train you to become a skipper; we have trainers for the NCBA and RYA schemes.
To find out more about John Varley ll, email johnvarley@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.
To find out more about Madeline, email madeline@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.
To find out more about Hugh Henshall, email hughhenshall@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.
To find out more about Seth Ellis, email sethellis@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Trustees
We welcome new Trustees, especially those with business, engineering, political or legal experience. To find out more, email chair@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.

Work Party
Our Work Party does the physical restoration of the canal and some maintenance work. They have restored four of the locks on the Derbyshire section and built two more from scratch. They are about to start a new project at Renishaw, click here. They meet every Sunday and Thursday, plus occasional other days as well. It is usually hard physical labour. Skilled bricklayers, chainsaw operators and experienced digger and dumper drivers are very welcome, but there are plenty of other jobs, such as cement mixing, scrub bashing and of course the key person is the tea masher! If you become a regular member of the Work Party, we will supply you with the necessary safety equipment. To find out more, email workparty@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk.