In an age where many people are looking to the future, it can be a struggle to engage younger generations with the past. Restoration coordinator, Katie, has been working to help provide restoration groups with the tools needed to increase their opportunities for younger people and create the restorers of the future.
It could be argued that we wouldn't be where we are today without canals, and the important part they played in the industrial revolution. Canals were the answer to moving heavy goods long distances, making trade and production easier and bringing in large amounts of money and investment into the country. They provided the nation with access to a working economy. If it wasn't for the birth of canals, our lives could be quite different.
Our waterways have always offered us so much and, in modern times, they still offer a huge variety of opportunities for young people. From learning valuable heritage skills, to understanding and building on the wider benefits waterways can bring to local communities and environments, there is still so much to gain if we can protect and restore these historic structures.
Gaining an insight
There are already some great programmes that allow young people to work closely with our canals, including the government's Kickstarter Scheme, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the John Muir Award. However, there is room for growth and expansion of both informal and formal learning and volunteering opportunities, particularly within the restoration sector.
This comes with challenges. We teamed up with the Inland Waterway Association's Restoration Hub to conduct some research into the barriers restoration groups and canal societies encounter when engaging with younger people.
Out of 22 responses, almost half of the groups said that the restoration sector is appealing to young adults and encourages them to get involved in roles that interest them. Almost 100% of respondents noted that they think it's important for restoration groups to offer youth engagement activities. There is a clear interest and a need to develop and grow current opportunities.
Some restoration groups are already doing brilliant work in partnership with local schools, colleges, youth groups and wildlife trusts, but there are others that feel they could be offering more opportunities but encounter challenges from paperwork, safeguarding, communication and lack of resources.
Following on from our consultation, we created the Young Volunteers and Waterway Restoration digital toolkit. It's a document packed full of tips, guidance, case studies and templates with the aim to help support restoration groups reach out to local partners and expand their youth offering.
From children as young as three years old, the events allowed local families to join in some volunteering activities suitable for all ages including environmental maintenance, building bug houses and trying their hand at some brick laying.
Through working in partnership, restoration groups can reach out to wider and younger audiences. There are many youth groups across England and Wales who are looking to get involved in local community projects and gain new skills at the same time. By making these types of connections and sparking interest in canal restoration from a young age we have the keys to navigate the future and drive the sector forward.
