We are about to share with you the stories and experiences of people who have been and are still involved with us here at Canal Connections through a series of Guest Blogs.
Everyone has their own story to tell, and it’s wonderful to share our stories with others, especially if our experiences may resonate with many other people.
Our first Guest Blog will be by John Steel. Let me introduce him to you…
I asked John to write an evaluation about his experiences on the Float Your Boat Programme which is funded through the Time To Shine Projects. He wrote 17 pages based on a short boat cruise and within it he demonstrates so much.
Photograph by Dennis Nicholson, a participant on the Float Your Boat Programme
His literary skills are enthralling, his knowledge and pride in Leeds is transparent, his honesty in his anxiety is humbling but his affection towards the industrial heritage, coupled with the obvious love for his family and his own heritage, is inspiring.
We have broken his journey into stages to be shared over a period of time but for me it demonstrates how the waterways were the life blood of the industrial revolution -bringing wealth, employment and hope into the centre of our City. The reward for the river was to become the dumping ground for the human and industrial effluence over the next centuries.
If you look beyond that he demonstrates how a ‘simple’ boat journey can be used for health and social care -helping those struggling with isolation, anxiety, depression, to respite care for both carers and cared for. Heritage Tourism on Cruises that take you back in time and introduce you to the wealth of heritage which can be demonstrated through the waterways. The cultural offering for creativity -photography, writing, music or art to name but a few. The environmental offering of Nature that is on our doorstep to the resurgence of water borne freight. The intellectual offering by providing a true alternative educational experience to real inter-generational opportunities.
We can look back but ensure we see forward as to the social, economic, cultural and environmental benefits that are going to be so precious to those who have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
Please check back soon to see John’s Blog: Reflections on the Water, which will be shared over 9 blog entries over the next few weeks.
In the meantime feel free to watch this video offering an insight into the experiences of other participants on the Float Your Boat Programme.
Filmed by Dennis Nicholson with interviews by Graham Lister