The Canal & River Trust is inviting people to discover new skills, meet like-minded people and play a part in caring for a 200-year-old canal, as the charity launches a range of exciting volunteering opportunities at the picture-postcard village of Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire.
The charity, which cares for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England & Wales, is looking for volunteers to help with a variety of rewarding activities in the village. These include lock keeping, helping in the village’s canal museum and café, getting hands-on with some canal-side maintenance, supporting events, and looking after the historic working boat, Sculptor, which is moored outside the museum.
To help people find the right opportunity for them, the Trust is hosting a free ‘taster day’ on 18 July, where visitors can try out different roles and discover what volunteering could offer them. Anyone interested can find out more and book a space on any of the sessions at Buy Stoke Bruerne – Events Tickets online – Canal & River Trust.
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On the same day the Trust is also holding free craft activities, giving people the opportunity to have a go at traditional canal-related crafts like rug ragging, painting roses, rope making, crochet, patchwork quilting and lace making.
The picturesque village of Stoke Bruerne is home to the UK’s oldest canal museum, housed in a historic Grade II listed corn mill, as well as a flight of locks, a blacksmith’s forge, and the 200-year-old southern portal of the almost two-mile-long Blisworth Canal Tunnel.
Linny Beaumont, regional director at Canal & River Trust, said: “It takes many hands to care for our historic waterways. Whether you’re a history buff, want to get stuck in with some maintenance and lock keeping, or prefer to chat with people in the museum and café, there’s an opportunity for you to make a real difference and support our vital work.
“Volunteering at the Trust is open to everyone, it is flexible and offers a rewarding experience where you can really make a difference. Those who help our charity are doing something positive for their local community, connecting, meeting new friends, and making a big difference to the canals and rivers that matter to them.
“You don’t necessarily need experience of boating or working on the waterways, the most important things we’re looking for are enthusiasm, willingness to learn and a friendly manner. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in your local area.”
The appeal comes in a record year for volunteering for Canal & River Trust, with over three quarters of a million hours donated by more than 8,000 volunteers across its 2,000 miles of waterways during 2025/26, adding to the scope and scale of what the charity can achieve.
For more information about the Canal & River Trust, including how to volunteer and donate, visit: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk.
