The Whitchurch Waterway Trust

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The Whitchurch Waterway Trust

Caring for the heritage of the Whitchurch Canal "The Arm" and bringing people together through volunteering, events and our Canal Festival.

16/06/2026

Remember to save the date!

The Whitchurch Waterway Trust Canal Festival will be held on 5th and 6th September 2026.

We hope to see you there!

15/06/2026

🚤 Barbers Support the Miniature Canal Regatta 2026 🚤

We are delighted to announce that Barbers, Whitchurch, are supporting the Whitchurch Waterway Trust community project leading up to the Whitchurch Canal Festival on 5 and 6 September 2026.

The team will be designing and decorating their own miniature canal boat as part of the Miniature Canal Regatta 2026. Their boat will join displays created by other local businesses, charities, community groups, schools and youth organisations across the town.

From 8 August 2026, residents and visitors will be able to follow the Miniature Canal Regatta Trail around Whitchurch, discovering the unique boat designs on display and learning more about the organisations taking part.

During the Canal Festival weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite canal boat design, helping to crown the community's winning boat.

This project is all about bringing people together, celebrating creativity, supporting local organisations and creating a fun community event for everyone to enjoy.

Would your business, charity, school, youth group or community organisation like to get involved?

If you would like to receive a miniature canal boat to decorate and display, please send us a message for more information.

A huge thank you to Barbers for supporting this exciting community project. 💙🚤

14/06/2026

Meet Our Vice Chair of the Trust, Doug. Please say hello in the comments! 👋

Doug joined The Whitchurch Waterway Trust because of his love of canals and a desire to do something positive for the town and local community.

A retired military flying instructor, Doug brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and commitment to the Trust. As Vice Chair, he plays an important role in supporting the charity and helping to keep projects moving forward.

One of Doug's favourite parts of being involved is organising the annual Canal Festival. He loves bringing the community together, meeting new people and seeing everyone enjoy the event. For Doug, it is one of the most rewarding parts of being a trustee and something he looks forward to every year.

When he is not supporting the Trust, Doug enjoys spending time on the canal, being outdoors in the fresh air and, of course, walking with his faithful companion, Evie 🐾

Doug believes volunteering should be enjoyable. He loves meeting people from all walks of life, having a chat, learning something new and even stopping to fuss a dog or two along the way.

His message to anyone thinking about getting involved with the Trust is simple:

"Come on down and join us. It's great fun, very rewarding, and there's always something happening."

Thank you, Doug, for everything you do for the Arm, the Trust and our community 💚

13/06/2026

🍜🥔🍕🌱 Calling Local Food Traders! 🌱🍕🥔🍜

The Whitchurch Waterway Trust is currently looking for food vendors to join us at the Whitchurch Canal Festival 2026, taking place on 5th and 6th September 2026.

To help create a varied food offering for visitors, we are particularly interested in hearing from traders providing:

🍜 Asian Food
🥔 Jacket Potatoes
🍕 Pizza
🌱 Vegan and Vegetarian Food

If you run a food business, street food trailer, catering service or pop up kitchen and would like to be part of this popular community event, we would love to hear from you.

For more information or to register your interest, please contact Doug at:

📧 [email protected]

Please feel free to share this post with any local food businesses that may be interested.

12/06/2026

The Red Cow Butchers Support the Miniature Canal Regatta 2026 🚤

We are delighted to announce that The Red Cow Butchers, Whitchurch, are the first local business to support the Whitchurch Waterway Trust community project leading up to the Whitchurch Canal Festival on 5 and 6 September 2026.

The team will be designing and decorating their own miniature canal boat as part of the Miniature Canal Regatta 2026. Their boat will join displays created by other local businesses, charities, community groups, schools and youth organisations across the town.

From 8 August 2026, residents and visitors will be able to follow a Miniature Canal Regatta Trail around Whitchurch, discovering the unique boat designs on display and learning more about the organisations taking part.

During the Canal Festival weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite canal boat design, helping to crown the community's winning boat.

This project is all about bringing people together, celebrating creativity, supporting local organisations and creating a fun community event for everyone to enjoy.

Would your business, charity, school, youth group or community organisation like to get involved?

If you would like to receive a miniature canal boat to decorate and display, please send us a message for more information.

A huge thank you to The Red Cow Butchers for being the first organisation to come on board and support this exciting community project.

02/06/2026

🌈 June is Pride Month 🌈

At the Whitchurch Waterway Trust we believe our canal is for everyone.

The Whitchurch Arm has always been a place where people come together to walk, volunteer, chat, enjoy nature and be part of the community.

This Pride Month we celebrate kindness, inclusion and the many different people who help make our waterways welcoming spaces for all.

Whether you are visiting for the first time, volunteering with the Trust or simply enjoying a peaceful moment along the towpath, you are always welcome here. 🚤

Happy Pride Month from all of us at the WWT. ⚓

01/06/2026

💚 Volunteers’ Week 💚

This week we are celebrating the incredible people behind the Whitchurch Waterway Trust.

Did you know the Trust is completely volunteer led?

Everything you see happens because of volunteers.

From fundraising and community events, to gardening, maintenance, litter picking, restoration work, social media, planning and organising the Canal Festival, it is all made possible by people giving their time to support the Whitchurch Arm.

Our volunteers help protect a piece of local history for future generations while creating a welcoming place for the whole community to enjoy.

WWT Chair Mark said:

“The Whitchurch Waterway Trust is a local organisation run by volunteers. Their passion, dedication and community spirit keep the Whitchurch Arm alive. Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you to every single person who gives their time, energy and care to support the canal.”

To every volunteer past and present, thank you. 🚤⚓

If you would like to get involved with the Trust, we would love to hear from you.

31/05/2026

😊 National Smile Day 😊

Today we are celebrating one of the friendly faces of the Whitchurch Waterway Trust, long standing volunteer Bob.

Bob has supported the Trust for over 20 years and if you have spent time around the Whitchurch Arm, there is a good chance you have seen him with a smile, a story and always willing to lend a hand.

When we asked Bob why he keeps volunteering, his answer was simple. He has loved the canal since he was ten years old and enjoys the satisfaction of looking after a piece of local history.

Volunteering brings people together. It creates friendships, pride, purpose and plenty of smiles along the way.

For Bob, it is the local history, the lovely walk and seeing the canal alive with people that makes it all worthwhile.

So on National Smile Day, why not say hello to Bob if you see him around the Arm and give him a smile. 🚤

30/05/2026

⚓ Save the Date ⚓

Whitchurch Waterway Trust Canal Festival
5 to 6 September 2026

A weekend celebrating our canal, our community and the incredible people who support the Whitchurch Arm.

Expect:
🚤 Boats and waterways
🎶 Live entertainment
🍔 Food and drink
🎨 Community creativity
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family fun
🏆 Miniature Canal Regatta displays

More information coming soon.

29/05/2026

And the answer to Doug’s Towpath Teaser is… 🚤

October 1993 🎉

A big well done to everyone who commented and took part in this week’s question from our WWT Quiz Master.

It was lovely seeing so many guesses and people joining in with a little bit of Whitchurch Waterway history.

Keep an eye on the page for the next Towpath Teaser coming soon. 👀

Address

Whitchurch
SY131QH

Website

https://whitchurchwaterway.uk/

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