see the boats
“Put people who are entirely resistant with long offending behaviour on a boat 60ft long,10FT wide and they’re changed. why?
Canals are on the edge, beyond boundaries, a neutral space which people who are resistant to or scared of going beyond their local territory find comfortable, no one has claimed ownership of the space, they are able to relax and leave their worries on shore.
They slow down. You can’t go fast on a canal, you can’t overtake, if there’s a boat in the lock you have to wait. It is a different time-set. Yes, we are on a journey but there is no pressure.” Trevor
samson
out and about
“If you’re driving you have to look 60ft just to see the front of the boat, and then about three boats lengths in front of you to steer, that’s 240 ft, and beyond that an unobstructed view to the horizon which, most of the time, not a lot of us have, the long view. A natural interaction with outside space, a freedom we aren’t used to. You’re looking up, not at your feet.
And it’s a friendly place, canal users look and rather than being hostile or just turning away, are curious, ask what we’re up to, and our young people say, We’re clearing the towpath, didn’t you know it is the bi-centenary of the Leeds to Liverpool canal?! So they become teachers.
With us they are driving rather than sitting in classroom, we answer whatever questions they ask, whatever they’re curious about, are interested in, rather than saying, What you need to know is this. But when they have to do a tight manoeuvre they really have to concentrate which naturally brings out different skill sets. They’ve got control, no-one is controlling them.” Trevor
“They come on the boat saying, Why should I wear a life jacket? Then in a relatively short time they turn that around, they’re naturally taking on that responsibility saying, If you come on this boat you must wear a life jacket and they transfer that to other areas of their lives.
The boat only goes one way but the boat gets you into life. And with confidence and responsibility you choose where you want to go to in life.” Trevor
“Some days, it’s an intergenerational/multiracial floating boat, we might be crewed by an eighty year-old and skippered by an 18 year-old and there’s no upset, they’re working in harmony and age isn’t an issue.” Peter
MICHAEL HAYES
Before lock down Michael would support the elderly support group Float Your Boat. It became their weekly life line. Then during covid we sent the boat to have a makeover. Unfortunately the makeover did not go to plan and we got a boat back that was not finished yet. On her return the volunteers from Float Your Boat were upset and ready to leave her on the key side, but like a phoenix she would be rebuilt. The volunteers at this point vowed to return her to work, getting groups to support the rebuild. Canal Connections’ staff and volunteers have never taken on such a project but that hasn't stopped them. Watch this space ........
”Sometimes it is not the many, but the few and the quality, not bashing people through to the other side, not thousands, it might be we bring in fifty and we change ten lives by giving them a sense of purpose, working on their confidence to go back out there. Not just young people, age doesn’t matter, we get some older guys who think they’re the end of their lives and need to do something to keep them occupied then they’re coming back wanting to work with younger people, looking at what else they can do to support the project - they thought that’s it, I’ve had enough, I’ll enjoy the jolly out, but they end up wanting more responsibility in the project.” Peter