David Rutley has taken the opportunity to learn more about the important work done by the Canal and River Trust in Macclesfield, when he met with David Baldacchino, Manchester and Pennine Waterway Manager, and Gillian Renshaw, Development and Engagement Manager, and local volunteers, on a visit to the Macclesfield Canal.
Meeting at the Café Waterside in Bollington, David discussed the key objectives for the Trust in the year ahead, and what work was being done locally, to ensure that the Macclesfield Canal can be enjoyed safely by as many people as possible. Following this, David took the opportunity to meet with local volunteers from the Trust, and from the Macclesfield Canal Society, and find out more about how volunteers are actively supporting the Canal.
The Macclesfield Canal was one of the last canals to be built in the UK, opened in 1831. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful, and cleanest canals in the country – becoming the first canal in the country to receive the prestigious Green Flag from the Trust, last year. Almost abandoned in the 1940s, the canal is one of our great local heritage assets, which is used for walking, canal boating, canoeing, fishing and may other outdoor recreation activities.
The Canal and River Trust is a charity, and is entrusted to care for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales. On top of maintaining 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, which are often over 200 years old, the Trust is also responsible for an enormous network of bridges, embankments, towpaths, aqueducts, docks and reservoirs.
Speaking following the meeting, the MP for Macclesfield said, “I am really pleased to have had the opportunity to meet up with David, Gillian and all the volunteers at the Macclesfield Canal. The Canal and River Trust does great work to maintain our waterways, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank our local volunteers for all of their hard work in making the Macclesfield Canal such an attractive leisure spot for local residents. I hope that more local residents will take the time to enjoy all that our canal has to offer and learn about its rich heritage.”
David Baldocchino added, "We are extremely proud of our waterways in Macclesfield and it was great to hear just how passionate David Rutley is about the Macclesfield Canal. We have worked extremely hard over the past few years to work with and support local people to make the area even more welcoming and attractive place to live, work and visit and our recently awarded Green Flag is a testament to this, being the first canal to receive such an award. We are extremely grateful for all the support we have in the area and in particular we are grateful for our local volunteers who make our work even more pleasurable and possible. We look forward to seeing what the future brings."