Volunteers out in force at Louth canal

A community-spirited team of volunteers joined forces last Monday (July 31) for a '˜clean up day' at Louth's canal.

The day was organised by Louth Navigation Trust, the organisation set up over 30 years ago to preserve and restore the canal and the buildings associated with it.

Volunteers from the Co-op store in Northgate, and from Louth Fire Station, joined the Trust’s volunteers to clean up the Riverhead area, before moving on to Ticklepenny Lock further up the canal.

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Altogether, the team spent around six hours throughout the day clearing up the areas around the canal, and collecting rubbish and debris from beneath the water.

Paula Hunt, secretary of the Louth Navigation Trust, told the Leader: “We collected six trailer loads of rubbish from the canal and towpath.

“Twenty Co-op volunteers worked tirelessly, and we at the Louth Navigation Trust are so grateful to them - and they have offered to come again.

“Although the Fire Service had a call-out on the morning, they still managed to come and give us a hand with their inflatable pontoon.

“All in all, it was a lovely day down at Louth Navigation.”

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The Navigation Warehouse in Riverhead, where the Trust is based, has recently been put up for sale by Groundwork Lincolnshire, who own and manage the building - and the Trust is determined to get a consortium together to purchase the building.

Paula said: “The building has been put up for auction, and the auction is due to take place in September.

“The Louth Navigation Trust worked in partnership with Groundwork when the building was restored in 2000, as a catalyst for the restoration of the canal.

“We at the Trust think the building should stay in the hands of the people of Louth, and for the canal project.

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“We do have public events here, and schools come and visit, so the building should be kept as a community asset.”

Paula added that the canal and building is best kept in the hands of the Trust, as the major project to create a ‘multi-user path’ between Louth and Tetney Lock is currently in the pipeline.

The ongoing project has the backing of East Lindsey District Council, and is currently undergoing a feasibility study in partnership with ‘Sustrans’.

• For information about the Louth Navigation Trust, visit www.louthcanal.org.uk. If you are interested in joining the Trust, call 01507 605496.

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