Two Lichfield Canal Trust volunteers with an age difference of over 70 years have been nominated for Support Staffordshire Awards. Eric Wood, president of Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust, has been nominated for a lifetime achievement award, while Tom Wright has been nominated in the young volunteer of the year category.
Support Staffordshire is the largest independent voice for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in the county, and its Volunteer Star Awards offers an opportunity to recognise the work of the many volunteers who contribute to the community.
Eric Wood, nominated for the lifetime achievement award by Christine Bull, LHCRT chairperson, had the vision in the 1980s to restore disused canal sections to provide a navigable link across the north of the Birmingham conurbation. In 1988, he and four fellow waterways enthusiasts established what is now Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust and was its first chairman. The nomination goes on: “Eric relinquished the chair in 2001, aged 70, and has continued as our supremely valued and fervently interested and active President ever since. “Eric’s amazing charisma, warmth, kindness, ability to enthuse others and his vision for the restoration of much of the old Wyrley & Essington Canal has brought so many people into volunteering with what is now much more than canal restoration as, probably more importantly, it is creating a green corridor for wildlife and biodiversity and safe walking, cycling and jogging routes adjacent to so much of the new housing developments.”
Tom Wright started volunteering with LHCRT for his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award three years ago aged 14 and quickly progressed to working with the Trust's small team on plant maintenance and use.
Christine Bull's nomination for Tom as young volunteer of the year reads:
“In
those three years he has certainly learned a great deal but perhaps more
importantly for LHCRT he has been of immense help.
“He has learned how to weld, how to replace excavator tracks, about auto
electrics and electronics, engine repair and plant maintenance, and, aged 16,
gained his tractor license so he can move plant between our sites.
“Tom works almost every Saturday from 9am until at least 3pm, often cycling the
five miles from and back to his home. He is always on time, he puts in extra
days when needed, especially in his school holidays and will do any task asked
of him.
“We are not looking forward to when he goes off to university but he is such a
great person that we will wish him well!”
The 2022 Lichfield District Volunteer Star Awards will be taking pace on the
evening of Monday June 20 at the School House, Weeford.
Tom Read
LHCRT was delighted to attend a very special dedication of a memorial tree on the route of the Lichfield Canal near the footpath linking Longbridge Road to Tamworth Road. A 2.5m Rowan stands tall and is dedicated to Margaret Cross by her family.
About 30 friends and family from all over the UK and the world attended, and tributes to Margaret's commitments to community projects around the world were spoken. Indeed, her husband, Rob and daughters are attending a Buckingham Palace Garden Party on 18th May for Rob to receive an MBE in recognition of work both he and Margaret did while living in Nepal and afterwards here supporting Gurkha charities.
LHCRT is always happy to receive native trees and flora, and on this occasion it is also extremely grateful for the kind donation given by the Cross family.
Christine Bull
Our 2023 calendar is at the printers and you can pre-order your copy now. It features 13 beautiful photos of the two canals, taken by local photographers. We will have a limited supply so are already taking pre-orders in our online shop.
A chance conversion on Twitter with YouTuber @jenonthemove pre-Covid
led to a request to come and visit our famous aqueduct. So a month or two
ago, on a sunny day Jen came to visit us.
Jen is a transport enthusiast, usually making videos about trains, tubes
and trams, particularly the most interesting parts of the UK transport network
so our aqueduct obviously fits in well with the interesting bit.
