VOLUNTEER GROUPS

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi all

 

As many of you will know, there are numerous canal restoration societies in existence, which have carried out a lot of restoration projects, which have led to the re-opening of many canals and waterways, and are continuing their hard efforts to carry ou even more.

 

My question is, are there, or is it possible to form  "Broads restoration volunteer group"?.

 

What made me think of this is having read the many interresting and very informative posts and photo`s by Paladin on the "Johnnie Crowes staithe" thread.  Looking at some of the photos, and reading his descriptions, my imediate thought was "i`d volunteer to clear that myself". But  if such volunteer groups DID exist, would they need approval or backing from the BA  or any other Authority, and what would be the problems with health and safety etc?. Also, if a volunteer group WAS fomed, would there be many of the forum members interrested in joining it.

 

I must admit, although i live down here in (at the moment) wet and windy Dorset, i would be very interrested in doing a working  (or volunteering?) holiday, to get involved in these restoration projects.

 

What do others think?.

 

 

Regards to all ............................. Neil.

[Paladin]

Some 'maintenance' work is already carried out by volunteers. For example, Horning Sailing Club run a working party during the winter, who engage in bank clearance along the Bure, upstream of the club premises, to cut back trees and shrubs to improve the sailing. The Broadsword team (part of the Broads Society) also engage in bank clearance. Obviously, the BA must approve and so must the landowner.

 

As far as Johnny Crowe's staithe is concerned, the main issue would be dredging, which is the responsibility of the BA. The land either side of the dyke is owned by either the BA (or maybe How Hill Trust) (south bank) or Catfield Parish Council (north bank).

 

A volunteer group could not just go in and start bank clearance without permission and, yes, H&S is a consideration.

[650xs]

i carry an chain saw ....................

 

some tnt .........................

 

 

run a very powerful tow boat ...................

 

 

and got a gun ...............

 

so i can trim the trees shoot the nesting birds out or thway 

 

 

and blast up and down to clear the mud on the banks ...............

 

 

gun ...............?????  cuzz here in narfolkland we do that like the bayou orf the uk 

 

 

orf my land ................................!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

i reckon we should all trim a bit when we moor up and every little helps .......

 

 

run yer boat in gear at tick over and blast the bottom in to main channel and let the nature do the rest to keep the bottom clear ........

 

 

we get flushed every day ...............

 

 

join the ba they have vouterrs yer know ......

 

 

or the north walsham canal people ...............

 

 

 

good luck with yer search ...............

 

 

don,t for get yer gun ..............................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

and bring yer own pupppy dawg.................................

 

 

i have three if ye rneed to borrow one ...................

 

 

all in jest yer knaw........................................

[650xs]

on a serous note i have dug my bit too 

 

 

we clered the cockshoot  broad................

 

 

laid walk ways ...............etcetc

 

 

talk to ba ,how hill trust or join the wafi clubs too ................

 

 

dont for get if yer want to help on the water why not offer service to the nacey old filed trust

 

loverly people get on the water and help the people who can,t ..............

 

 

they do a grand job yer know ..........................

 

 

 

good ole eric he had it sussed god bless him the proper marsh man of our time 

 

dug many a little dyke clear 

 

 

keep the canal deep with my own stuff 

[marshman]

The dyke may need to be dredged in the opinion of a few but what the real issue is is that the dyke is just not wide enough to take a cruiser - it would touch the sides!!!! On the BA side the bank is raised so to dredge it would require a major earthmoving operation and the other side provides a bank to prevent the other marsh flooding.

 

You would find that you would face exactly the same problems as the BA - you would have to get the landowners permission to spread the dredgings and in the case of that piece of BA land it also is the upper limit of the floodbanks and you would need planning permission to touch those i guess

 

Evidence of a staithe does not mean access by any boat - it may have only been for landing reeds from a lighter!!!!

[Paladin]

I don't actually know what the opinion of the few, or the many, might be. I haven't seen this particular dyke discussed in any forum before.

 

marshman, you are clearly against any further clearance of Crome’s dyke, but please go and have a look at how it is today. Clearly, your memory of it is rather out-of-date. As I posted in the Johnny Crowe’s Staithe thread, I know a Cleopatra 700 moors further along the dyke, with plenty of passing room. That boat is 22'8" long, with an 8' 4" beam. It can just about be seen in my photo in that thread, looking along the dyke towards the river (the middle photo in post #65). It would not be an appropriate destination for 42’ hire cruisers, but it would be reasonable for the use of the size of boats that usually frequent the mooring at the mouth of the dyke.

 

If the reed incursion was removed, I reckon the dyke would be wider than some parts of Waxham Cut. For those who have never navigated the Cut, take a look at the photos here, particularly photos 6 and 7 and the final one. I haven't heard any suggestions that the Cut should be abandoned because of it's width.

 

And if you take a look here you’ll see a number of Broads cruisers at the private moorings at the far end of the Cut,

 

“Evidence of a staithe does not mean access by any boat - it may have only been for landing reeds from a lighter!!!!”

 

Why so much emphasis!!!! If you read the Commons Commissioner’s report of 1979, you will see that he received written evidence that trading wherries used to load corn at the staithe. There has even been the suggestion, from someone in a better position of knowledge that I am, that the wherries actually went as far as Crome’s Broad. In any case, is a lighter not a boat?

 

I’m not mounting a crusade to have the dyke ‘developed’, but recognise that the possibility is there and that the BA have a responsibility and duty of care towards it. But, back to the topic, any volunteering work in that area would, surely, have to be under the direction and guidance of the BA.

 

 

 

 

[ranworthbreeze]

As with all volunteer organisations there is a lot of politics involved, health & safety issues etc.

 

I was involved with the Chesterfield Canal Society for a number of years and was involved in the restoration of Tapton Lock and some of the other locks that had been capped off.

We had to adhear to the IWA guide lines with regards to health & safety. Hard hats and goggles were a must and after a while we had to be registed to operate machinery such barrow hoists, dumpers and portable tools.

 

We also had to conform to the local authority rulings regarding the repointing of the lock walls, by using pointing rakes and only lime based mortar to specification.

 

We also went on a IWA dig at Wantage which was an experience, but it had more chiefs than indians so very little seemed to get done.

 

Volunteering on the Broads would be great but it would need to be well organized and to keep the volunteers active and happy they would have to see real results for their labours. 

 

Regards

Alan

[marshman]

It only goes up there a few hundred yards before at the bend there is a brick built constriction - it used I believe to hold stop planks before the weir was originally built further up nearer to Cromes Broad.

 

Dont forget you are looking at this in winter but whilst you may get a cruiser up there, there is certainly no turning area and to honest as this is in the middle of a Nature Reserve and almost certainly a triple Si

 cannot even see the point of having this discussion!!! They would find so many reasons why it is not possible especially when there are plenty of other areas needing attention!!!

 

I do not believe you will ever get it open and indeed with perfectly good moorings within a relatively close by not quite sure why the BA should consider spending money on such a project? Surely we can think of better ways, and indeed places to spend it!!!!

[ExMemberBobdog]

Not referring to Johnnie Crowe's Staithe in particular, but the Broads Authority itself makes extensive use of volunteers to do all kinds of work.  The Rangers are supported by 'Ranger Volunteers' who help with the launch patrols but also get stuck in to a variety of countryside tasks including scrub clearance, footpath maintenance, cutting grass at BA moorings etc.  There are also more general volunteers who do all kinds of environmental work and help with repairs of quay headings and much more.  Altogether there are several hundred people giving their time, freely, to help keep Broadland accessible to all of you ... and the BA employs a Volunteer Co-ordinator to manage their efforts.  The BA also supports the voluntary efforts of the Broads Society, Broadsword and more.

 

Anybody who wants to sign up, I'm sure Beth Williams (the volunteer co-ordinator) at the BA would love to hear from you.  Beth.Williams@broads-authority.gov.uk

http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/authority/volunteer.html

[Paladin]

I saw no brick built construction, just the wooden piled and headed section shown in my photo on the other thread.

 

A turning area could be provided where the dyke widens out, just past the 'throttled' section.

 

How Hill is a nature reserve and an SSSI (a bit like Hickling Broad, Barton Broad, Martham Broad and Horsey Mere, each of which is navigable), but the dyke is actually outside the nature reserve.

 

This discussion has gone well off topic and is now being continued on the Johnny Crowe's Staithe thread.

 

[650xs]

yuo can always volutee on my scruffy ole yard and clear up me mess i make ......!!!!!

 

 

and get a half fillled cup orf luke warm wattter.......................

 

 

 

any one no ...............................ahh wel can,t say i didd,nt ask .......................!!!!!!

[Boaters]

There is much work going on the North Walsham and Dilham Canal by volunteers and on their open day they had several dinghies afloat .this is one I would join if I had the time to spare.