Canal and River Trust

in 2010, Government announced that British Waterways will transfer its operations in England and Wales to a New Waterway Charity, the Canal & River Trust.

The work of this new charity will be very similar to ours. To minimise confusion and prevent duplication, our Trustees and the Transition Trustees of Canal & River Trust have agreed to merge operations in England and Wales when the Canal & River Trust is established later this year.

The merger will enable us to pool our strengths and resources with those of the Canal & River Trust and create a unique new national charity to help continue our ambition of enriching lives through waterways.

The new charity, whcih will be up and running by the summer, will bring together over 2,000 miles of historic canals, rivers and docks, three important waterways museums, the national waterways collection and national waterway archives.

The merger will also mean that the Canal & River Trust will be able to draw on the pool of experience and expertise that we have built over the past 13 years in partnership working, conservation, marketing, fundraising, volunteering and education and engineering.

Our work to encourage people to use, discvoer, enjoy and care for our canals and rivers in England & Wales will carry on uninterrupted.

In Scotland the waterways will remain in public ownership.  The Waterways Trust is well established and has a very successful programme. We will continue as a charity in Scotland, growring our reach and influence focussing on the needs of Scotland's waterways, working with British Waterways Scotland and its many stakeholders. With the continuing support of British Waterways and other partners, we will continue to deliver a wide range of benefits, enriching people's lives through waterways.

Find out more about the Canal & River Trust

£1bn funding agreed for Canal & River Trust