The Trust

""To preserve and restore narrow boats and canal craft of all descriptions, exhibit the same for the benefit of the public and where possible to promote the use of such boats for commercial canal carrying".

The Narrow Boat Trust is a Registered Company Limited by guarantee. It is also a Charity, registered with the Charity Commisioners.
As Registered Limited Company, the Trust needs and has a Chairman and a Board of Directors - their names are a matter of Public Record.
The Operations of the Trust are controlled and planned by the Committee. All of the Directors are automatically members of the commitee. Other members of the committee are either chosen at an AGM of the Trust or may be co-opted by the Committee.
Officers of the Trust (as at 01/12/07):
Tom Henshaw President
Graham Scothern Chairman/Boat Manager
Steve Morgan Secretary/Treasurer
Roger Morgan Crewing Co-ordinator
Dave Davies Webmaster & Newsletter Editor
Roger Hutchinson Newsletter Editor
Mark Burt Press/Publicity
Nick Wolfe Training
Andy Belton
Peter Clutterbuck
Gill Clutterbuck
Vicky Morgan
Other members with specific roles at 11 November 2006:
John Fevyer Coal run organiser
Anne Perry Membership Secretary

To contact any council members see: Contacts

Policy Statement: In taking forward the business of the Narrow Boat Trust and fulfilling its aims and objectives, the Trust has adopted the policy statement below. It will give rise to a Plan for the next year and five years.
In preparing this statement, the Trust acknowledges that the position of the inland waterways of the UK, and of the boats and businesses which use them, has changed since the founding of the Trust in 1970.

To a significant extent, the original objectives have been met: the aim nonetheless remains extant and valid, and is: "to preserve and restore narrow boats and canal craft of all descriptions for the benefit of the public".

The Trust is well aware of the potential educational value deriving from the proper presentation of working canal boats. It sees its main purpose to provide the public (especially but not only young people) with the opportunity to understand working canal craft by active contact with them, as far as possible while they carry out the work for which they were built. This educational role is to be available to all.

It is desirable to present the boats in a condition as close to that in which they were built as is reasonably practicable. But this must be subordinated to the main aim, which is to allow the public to come into contact with them: the policy of the Trust is that the boats will work and will not be solely museum exhibits, and some pragmatic compromises to detail and configuration will be accepted.

It is the policy of the Trust to devote resources to ensuring that the boats are kept in good condition: it is not policy to require or expect work to be done only by members, although this is strongly encouraged.

The Trust will engage in a range of fund-raising activities in order to support itself and further its work. This will include the carrying of cargo for revenue when possible, which itself contributes to the aim by presenting the boats in working condition. But the Trust is conscious of the need to respect the position of those whose living is by canal carrying, and undertakes to be bound by market conditions. Cargoes will be carried for promotional purposes where this seems appropriate.

It is necessary to take every opportunity to expand the reach of the Trust to the public. It is therefore the policy of the Trust to engage in partnerships with organisations with similar aims, for the furtherance of both. All reasonable opportunities will be taken to advertise the activities and work of the Trust, and to present it to the public in an effective manner. It is, however, not at this stage the policy of the Trust to engage in the sale of promotional goods, although that option will be kept under review.

It is the policy of the Trust to maintain the accepted traditional techniques for the operation of working narrowboats. But these techniques will be applied in a way which respects the changes required by modern usage of the canals by others.

It is the policy of the Trust to maintain as far as possible within resources an understanding of the history of the waterways and the craft which used them.

It is the policy of the Trust to seek members and to charge an appropriate fee for membership as is permitted by the articles. The role of members is not only to take advantage of the opportunities for using the boats, but also to be active in taking forward the work of the Trust. Various forms of membership, in addition to individual and family, will be examined to see whether (for example) joint or corporate membership might be useful to the Trust.

It is the policy of the Trust to engage the members in the day-to-day work of the Trust. This includes actively canvassing the members to harness their particular skills, and to make a conscious effort to identify, as people join and afterwards, what skills they expect to make available. The membership will be served by the regular provision of a newsletter: at present the policy is for this to be six-monthly/bi-annually.

It is the policy of the Trust to attend, with the boats where possible, events of various sorts as which the public may be expected to be present. This will be done on the clear basis that our presence enhances the event and contributes to it: events where the Trust would be present only for the benefit of its own members will be eschewed.
It is the policy of the Trust to engage in a range of activities where these serve the purposes of the Trust, and to keep under review what these might properly be. In particular, options for the provision of more formal opportunities to handle the boats will be explored

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The Narrow Boat Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Cardiff under number 01724935

The Registered Office of the Narrow Boat Trust is at:
23 Redway Drive, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 7NT

The Narrow Boat Trust is a charity registered in England under number: 288243