Fund Britain’s Waterways to sail through Newark on its way down to Westminster
A flotilla of more than 30 boats will be travelling through Newark next week on their way to the River Thames in protest of waterways funding.
On Wednesday (April 2), the boats will be led by Newark’s Les Reid, who will meet the sailors in the morning at Nether Lock before guiding them with his boat — Ruffian — through Newark’s stretch of the River Trent.
The convoy is part of a Fund Britain’s Waterways initiative, which was launched in 2023 to highlight the underfunding and deteriorating condition of the country’s network of canals and navigable rivers.
The campaign seeks the support of parliamentarians and the general public to secure the necessary resources for the upkeep of the vital waterways.
The journey will begin on Saturday with a group of six boats setting off from Strawberry Island Boat Club in Doncaster.
The six boats will be joined by others along the 21-day journey, which will cover the 278 miles and 172 locks before reaching Parliament on May 7.
Les Reid said: “I am quite proud to be guiding the flotilla through Newark.
“People are very keen to revert what is happening to the canals. As my boat is too big I won’t be going all the way down to London but I am supporting this and I hope more people do.”
The boats will go from the Nether Lock in Newark, near the British Sugar Factory and the East Coast Mainline, through Trent Bridge by Newark Castle and down to Farndon.
This year’s flotilla will be led by Hazel Owen, the chairman of the Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs, who will then carry on from London to the East of England.
The combined flotilla will pass through Gainsborough on April 1 around 10am, where they will be greeted by more boats and supporters on land.
Hazel Owen said: "The need for greater investment in our waterways has never been clearer.
“This flotilla is not just about boats, it represents the voices of everyone who cares about the future of our canals and rivers.
“We must show Parliament that we are serious about safeguarding these precious resources."
