150+ MILE-LONG

CANOE TRAIL

BY 2020...

10 COMMUNITY

HUBS

10,000 PEOPLE

ENGAGED

From Liverpool to Goole

Linking urban and rural communities

Across the North of England

“I’ve been running school trips for nearly 16 years and this is the best ever”

Teacher

2016 has seen the official opening of both the Wigan and Blackburn hubs. The Wigan hub launched with a visit from our funder, while our Blackburn hub was opened as part of the Blackburn Canal Festival. These hubs have been a great success, allowing the canoe trail to engage with young people and families in their local communities.

The Desmond Family Canoe Trail goes from strength to strength and has been involved in a large number of events to promote the opportunities to get involved, including the Inland Waterway Festival in the Eldonian Village which is the start of the trail. We have also been involved in the bicentenary celebrations of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal throughout the year. This has allowed us to engage with communities and promote opportunities to become involved with the project. Along with our continued presence at large festivals, we have supported our partners to take on their own challenges along the trail, including the 29th Ormskirk Scouts who cycled, walked and canoed their way from Leeds to Liverpool.

With the continued support of the Desmond Foundation and the leadership of young people and the community, 2017 is going to be even more exciting. We will impact on more lives than in any previous year, and will see the trail reach and pass the half-way point and reach the 100-mile mark on the outskirts of Skipton.

Greg BrookesDesmond Family Canoe Trail Manager

40HUB LEADERS

RECRUITED

2,628LOCAL PEOPLE

ACTIVELY INVOLVED

44LOCAL

PARTNERSHIPS CREATED

532YOUNG PEOPLE

ENGAGED

955SCHOOL WEEKSPARTICIPANTS

43CANOE TASTER

SESSIONSDELIVERED

6CANOESBOUGHT

This impact report marks two years of the partnership between the Desmond Family and the Canal & River Trust. As a fairly new Trust, we are keen to champion youth engagement in the heritage sector, with the purpose of enabling young people to participate fully in the waterways within their communities.

The success of the Desmond Family Canoe Trail to date is measured by the positive feedback from

the young people, who are continually challenging us to develop further opportunities to experience the waterways, and the positive relationship that we continue to have with the Desmond Family. As the next stage of the project develops, we look forward to seeing how this innovative partnership work can build on the progress to date, and enhance an already vibrant and transformational trail.

Ani Sutton, National Youth Engagement Manager

2COMMUNITY HUBS

LAUNCHED

29th Ormskirk ScoutsThe Desmond Family Canoe Trail has partnered with the 29th Ormskirk Scouts on a number of activities throughout 2016. The group identified a stretch of canal they would like to enhance, 25 scouts signed up to take part in a number of social action activities, including clearing the water and towpath

of litter to enhance the area for both nature and the community alike. This led to an expedition from Leeds to Liverpool walking, cycling and canoeing their way along the 127 miles, which included the first passage through the mile-long tunnel at Foulridge.

15youth social action days

656volunteering

hours

70miles of the trail covered

Wigan ShareDuring the autumn of 2017 Wigan Share, along with the Brathay Trust, worked with the Desmond Family Canoe Trail as part of a project to build resilience amongst families. The project worked with eight young people and their parents to identify strategies and practices to help them to deal with, and overcome some of the challenges they faced together.

The programme focused on the young people and how they could take on a new challenge or experience and apply the experience to challenges and situations they may face in their daily life. The young people developed skills in canoeing, communication, co-operation and teamwork through the programme, and displayed an improved willingness to engage in activities and discussions throughout.

OUTCOMES/OUTPUTS

THE TRAIL IN THE NEWS

PRINTDaily Express » The article focused on the launch of the Wigan hub and unveiling of the trail waymarkers,

along with a visit from the funders team to see the progress the project is making.The Times Ireland » The Times journalist trip had a focus on the trail as a destination to enjoy a canoe trip

along the canal, focusing on accommodation and food along the way, and discussing the involvement of young people.

97%Increased confidence

92%Increased well-being

and happiness

93%Increased knowledge

of the Desmond Family Canoe Trail

Felt more connected to their local community

84%Were going home to tell their family and friends

how they could get involved

92%

TVBBC Inside Out Yorkshire and Humber & North West » Highlighting the range of opportunities for young people through the Desmond Family

Canoe Trail and the youth-led element of the project.The One Show » Presenter Andy Torbet paddled the full length of the Trail whilst highlighting the youth

and community engagement aspect of the project, as well as the heritage of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the Aire & Calder Navigation.

RADIO BBC Radio Humberside » Interview discussing opportunities and the canoe club being developed at The

Yorkshire Waterways Museum at Goole, and the opportunities for young people to try canoeing before the trail arrives, bringing attention to local asset and tourism facilities, as well as recognising the efforts of the local community.

The Challenge NetworkThe project has worked closely with National Citizen Service (NCS) providers across the trail. This year we grew our relationship with The Challenge Network, phase 2 has seen some brilliant examples of partnership working. We worked with three groups of 12 young people who revamped our Wigan

hub, ensuring we had a young person’s feel throughout the building. They cleaned, decorated, created artwork, planted plants and trees and generally put their stamp not just on the building but around the local area. We look forward to growing these partnerships further in 2017.

Feedback from participants following involvement in our activities

SESSION DELIVERY INCLUDES...Graffiti art session replicating the project logo

Well-being activities promoting healthy lifestyles

Canoe tasters on land and water

Schools Canoe weeks to give young people their first experience of canoeing

Mile marker installation during the bicentenary celebrations Social Action days, including

heritage restoration of an old basin, painting, planting and cleaning along the towpath

Supporting group challenges along the trail

How did you find out about the project?I volunteered in a building where the project shared a space in doing fashion and textiles, and met with the project leaders to talk about it.

Why did you get involved in the project?The project sounded exciting, having the chance to try canoeing on the canal, learning new skills and helping the community.

What did you do?I’ve volunteered on a number of events and festivals helping to talk about the project, sign people up for canoe taster sessions, and help young people to take part. These included the 2015 Santa Splash events and the IWA Festival. I was part of the canoe-building project that built five wood and fibreglass canoes for use by young people and their communities.

How do you feel you have developed whilst taking part in the project?The project has helped with my confidence and team skills, I have become more confident in speaking with others, and have started to take more leadership roles in tasks that I do and in planning others. More practically, I have also learnt how to use different power tools and what they do.

How has this project helped? What next? I definitely want to stay involved in the project, through my previous involvement I have been talking with lots of local people about arranging a clean-up day along the local section, and in talking to the project leaders, have begun to plan dates to do it. Being involved in the project along with other groups has helped me to be more confident, and this has helped me in starting a job with a community housing project.

Why did you get involved in the project?I got involved to spend time outdoors, I love being active outside and the project offered the chance to do this, and also it helps me with my bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), which will help me in life.

What did you do?I have volunteered at a number of events stretching back to 2015 and helped to run events such as the Santa splash, World Rivers Day, Heritage restoration of an old canal basin in Bootle and looked after activities at these, including the kayaking simulator and the smoothie bike at the Wigan hub launch.

How do you feel you have developed whilst taking part in the project?I believe that many of my skills have developed, such as my leadership skills, my people skills, and my confidence, all of which will help me in the future. These skills have helped me as I have recently joined the RAF Air Cadets and I have been able to use these skills to quickly establish myself within my unit, and hope to soon be able to begin moving up the ranks.

Do you feel you have impacted the local community in any way?I hope I have, the basin clean-up allowed a historic monument and area to be restored so that the local community can all now enjoy it. For my volunteering section of my Bronze DofE, I independently completed 12 weeks of litter picking and rubbish removal from a number of stretches along the trail.

How has this project helped? What next? I would like to continue to volunteer and be involved with the Desmond Family Canoe Trail. Since being involved in the project which helped lead me to joining the Air Cadets, I have been able to focus on what I would like to do as a career and what I need to do to get there.

SAMANTHA Cottrell

MATTHEWBrookes

I really like the capability the Desmond Family Canoe Trail has to bring people together, not just to educate them about the canal, but to develop friendships and help groups and individuals to communicate with people who they normally wouldn’t.

IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE TRAILWorking with the local community and British Canoeing, we surveyed phase 2 of the trail to ensure open access for all. This included:

Phase 2 signage commissioned

CELEBRATION AND RECOGNITION

130,292TOTAL FACEBOOK

REACH

164,052TOTAL FACEBOOK

IMPRESSIONS

30-metre pontoon purchased for the

Wigan hub

4 waymarkers created and

locations identified

5,742TWITTER PROFILE

VISITS

350+TWITTER LIKES

109NEW FACEBOOK LIKES

310NO OF TWEETS

Over 500 young people were actively involved in creating and enjoying the trail in 2016, with over 2,600 community members attending events and celebrations. What do some of them think?

The Desmond Family Canoe Trail worked with young people across both phases to design a bespoke, recognisable waymarker for the trail. Working with artist Matthew Lane Sanderson, the designs were brought to life. The waymarker was officially unveiled at the Wigan hub launch and showcased in local and national press.

WHAT’S NEXT?

This project brings people and organisations together. We are very grateful for the support we have received from:

Merseyside Scouts, Leigh College, Notre Dame High School, Wigan Council, Blackburn College, Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust, Friends of Allonby Canoe Club, Challenge Network NCS, Prince’s Trust, Brathay Trust, Inland Waterways Association, Sefton Borough Council, Wigan S.T.E.A.M, West Lancashire College, Blackburn YPS, The Anderton Centre, St Georges Scout Group, Mill Hill Community Association,

Dance and Performing Arts (DAPA), British Canoeing, Canal & River Trust Explorers, Safe Regeneration, West Lancashire Health Network, Groundworks, West Lancashire Council for Voluntary Service, Liverpool Water Sports Centre, Blackburn Youth Zone, Sefton Youth Service, Fourteen19, Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio, Calypso Restaurant, Wigan Canoeing Group, Liverpool Canoe Club, Hou Canoes, Slyncs, The Yorkshire Waterways Museum at Goole, Canal Connections, White Rose Canoe Club, Catch-22, Accrington and Rossendale college,

Christ Church Youth & Community Centre, Netherton Activity Centre, L30’s Centre, Crosby Lakeside.

Phase 3 sees the trail reach the exciting milestone of the project passing the 100-mile marker. During this phase, the trail will also pass through the mile-long Foulridge Tunnel, opening up a previously restricted passage for canoeists. We will work closely with the national and regional safety advisors, as well as

local consultations with canoe clubs and boaters, to create a safe operation procedure. 2017 will see the creation of hubs in Burnley and Skipton, offering young people and communities the space to meet with project leaders, to plan and direct social action projects which affect their local communities. Many new

partnerships will be created along the trail, increasing the reach of the project to diverse communities and providing exciting and engaging opportunities for young people to lead on the development of the trail, as

well as leading on the design and delivery of more and more local events.

@CRTCanoeTrail CRTCanoeTrail /canalrivertrust humansofthewaterways.tumblr.com

0303 040 4040 coastto.coast@canalrivertrust.org.ukwww.canalrivertrust.org.uk/the-desmond-family-canoe-trail

Accreditation for young

people

First DFCT canoe club established

Trail app created

Biggest Santa

Splashes yet!

100-mile celebration