Accessible Waterways Association

Calls grow for residential boaters to be recognised in housing and planning policy

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June 3, 2026

Thousands of people make their homes on Britain’s canals and rivers, but many residential boaters say they face mounting barriers to healthcare, basic services and legal security, with campaigners warning that unclear rights and patchy recognition are leaving a significant community exposed. PRESSURE is growing on ministers to confront what campaigners describe as a blind…
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SWAPPING real waves for the airwaves

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July 14, 2025

TIM and Tracey Clarke, co-founders of the Accessible Waterways Association, have published their podcast on streaming platform Spotify so their work can reach a wider audience. As reported, the association aims to raise awareness of the fact that there are people aboard boats on inland waterways with a variety of accessibility needs. Its members come…
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IMPROVING ACCESS for disabled canal users

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June 2, 2025

THE Accessible Waterways Association is working closely with the Canal & River Trust to expand the scope of disabled boaters’ meetings. Founder Tracey Clarke said: “The current meetings began after I had a series of consultations with the CRT to discuss the needs of all canal users – not just boaters – with accessibility issues. …
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WATERWAYS: Accessible for everyone

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January 29, 2025

Lucy Wood reports… THE Accessible Waterways Association (AWA) has been reflecting on 2024, its first full year as an official association. Its founders, Tim and Tracey Clarke, said: “It has been a very busy year indeed, and included participation in the Boatlife exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC in February, the Crick Boat Show in May, the…
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‘IMPRESSIVE & REFRESHING’: Meeting with the Environment Agency

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October 7, 2024

Lucy Wood reports… Campaigners championing accessibility on the UK’s waterways said a meeting with the Environment Agency to discuss moorings and facilities was ‘impressive’ and ‘refreshing’. TRACEY and Tim Clarke, founders of the Accessible Waterways Association, were invited to the Denver Complex on the River Great Ouse Relief Channel, near Downham Market, Norfolk, to explore…
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