13th October 2019
PRESS RELEASE
In September, a group of seven keen volunteers from the Virgin Media Business Project Delivery team came to do some vegetation clearance along the Chesterfield Canal.
They had heard about the work that the Chesterfield Canal Trust does to keep the canal from becoming overgrown and wanted to do their bit to help.
For the past two years, the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s ex- British Waterways workboat Python has supported volunteers cutting back vegetation on the towpath and overhanging the waterway itself. This was the first day of this autumn’s programme and the volunteers made a superb start.
They went to Kiveton Park where they were equipped with hard hats, gloves and hi-vis jackets and given a safety briefing. They were supplied with a variety of cutting and lopping tools and set off up to the portal of the Norwood Tunnel.
Here some cleared the landing stage, whilst others worked their way along the towpath removing overgrown brambles and trimming back overhanging branches.
Despite rather mixed weather, they did a sterling job and certainly had a good time. Perhaps the plentiful supplies of hot drinks and cake helped!
Virgin Media Business supports your digital world and gets you back up and running if something isn’t working. As well as providing a top-notch set of products and an exceptional ongoing service for your business, it also seeks to empower you as a business decision-maker by giving you everything you need to know about your kit.
Volunteer Team Lead Carole Payton said: “A fabulous opportunity to utilise our allocated Volunteer Day supporting the Chesterfield Canal Trust team. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the historic narrow boat Python to cut back vegetation along the canal banks and towpath.”
Jan Warsop from the Chesterfield Canal Trust said: “It was wonderful to welcome such a highly motivated and enthusiastic team to join us maintaining the canal.”
The work of Python has recently been recognised at two awards ceremonies.
Jan and Dave Warsop with the Living Waterways Award, photo by Chris Bennett
In September, the Python Litter Pickers won a Community Award from Retford in Bloom 2019. The citation read: “In recognition of their clearance of litter and debris from the water and banks of the Chesterfield Canal.”
In October, Python was Commended in the Canal & River Trust’s Living Waterways Awards in the Engaging Communities section. This was well deserved recognition in these national awards.
The aims of the Chesterfield Canal Trust are to promote the full restoration and appropriate development of the Chesterfield Canal. It has a target to get the canal fully restored by 2027, the 250th Anniversary of its opening.
The Trust welcomes any groups who would like to help to maintain or restore the canal. This might be public or private sector businesses or those from the voluntary sector. For further information, please ring 01246 477569.
To see the video made for the Living Waterways Awards, click here.
The merry band of volunteers brandishing some of their equipment.
Python sets off up the cut.
Cutting back at the Norwood Tunnel landing stage. Photo by Jan Warsop
A bow saw is a useful implement.
At other times loppers are more useful.
Once cut down, the branches have to be chopped up.
Sometimes it’s a team effort.
The volunteers are still hard at it whilst Python goes back to the mooring for another brew.
The whole group comtemplating a job well done. Photo by Jan Warsop
