IWA Lichfield Branch has donated £2000 in memory of Malcolm Braine, founding member of Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Society.
The donation to the Black Country Living Museum will support the current restoration work and design and installation of a new boiler for President – one of the world’s few surviving boats of its kind and part of the National Historic Fleet.
IWA’s donation honours Malcolm, a renowned boatbuilder and restorer who formed a link from the historic working boatyards to the modern leisure boats. His abilities for boat renovations were second to none; he worked on almost 150 historic boat conversions during his lifetime.
A hugely respected figure in boatbuilding, Malcolm was recruited by Tom Rolt into IWA in 1948, which led to his honorary life membership 70 years later.
Sue Gurney, treasurer of Lichfield IWA, said the donation was “particularly fitting as Malcolm was instrumental in originally rescuing and restoring President in the 1970s”. The museum needs to raise £20,000 to complete the work. You can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/bclm/president
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