Robin Evans, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, is close to launching it as an independent organisation after three years of preparation – and he’s sure it’s the right move.

“We’ve never felt that being part of government was the right place for the canals,” he says. “Government is . . . → Read More: Robin Evans: ‘I Think It Will Work For Us – And For Others’]]> Interview by Third Sector

Robin Evans, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, is close to launching it as an independent organisation after three years of preparation – and he’s sure it’s the right move.

“We’ve never felt that being part of government was the right place for the canals,” he says. “Government is the best place for you if you’ve got a crisis, but not if you just want to keep something running from day to day.”

But he emphasises that it will mostly be business as usual after the spin-out of British Waterways in England and Wales. “More than 95 per cent of what we do will remain exactly the same,” he says. “We’re running exactly the same waterways and they’ve got exactly the same water in them.”

The big change, he says, is that the organisation will be more outward-focused: “Everyone we meet is a potential supporter who can donate time or money. Previously we had users. The people on the towpath contributed nothing except potholes.

“Before, when they had problems they came to us, and when we had problems we went to the government. We held out our hands and it gave us some tax money.”

It has taken a lot of work to get various stakeholders onside, he says. But the secure agreement with the government over future funding has helped persuade them: “For the boaters there was a lot of security in government. Now the waterways are their responsibility. It’s taken longer than I thought, but they’re beginning to see the positives.

“Employees here also needed persuading. Our people had an image of charity as folk who weren’t very rich going round with buckets. Charities to them were needy, they weren’t a good place to be. But when we talked about being a trust they changed their minds. I hadn’t appreciated that they saw things that way.”

Nor was the government easy to convince. “Every time you meet someone new they suck their teeth and go ‘hmm’ and tell you that something can’t be done,” he says. “We were told by HM Revenue & Customs it would cost £80m to transfer out. We’ve now got a letter saying it’s a tax-exempt transaction.”

He now hopes that other organisations will follow in the trust’s wake. “I would advise them to consider this process,” he says. “It worked for Historic Royal Palaces. I think it will work for us. And it will work for others too.”

via Analysis: the Canal and River Trust casts off from the moorings of state.

Brecon Basin, Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

After three years of planning, British Waterways is to leave government control and become a charity. David Ainsworth reports on progress and interviews its chief executive, Robin Evans

Early in 2009, British Waterways, the quango responsible for maintaining the country’s canals, . . . → Read More: Analysis: the Canal and River Trust casts off from the moorings of state]]> By David Ainsworth, Third Sector, 15 May 2012

Brecon Basin, Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

After three years of planning, British Waterways is to leave government control and become a charity. David Ainsworth reports on progress and interviews its chief executive, Robin Evans

Early in 2009, British Waterways, the quango responsible for maintaining the country’s canals, floated a plan: it wanted to spin out of government and become a charity.

Those plans are likely to come to fruition next month, when the trust expects to receive final approval from the government and will be launched as a new, independent entity – the 13th largest in the voluntary sector, with an income of more than £200m a year.

A charitable vehicle has already been set up to receive the quango’s assets in England and Wales, and a new name has been agreed – the Canal and River Trust. Scottish waterways will remain under the control of the Scottish government.

The trust has faced a number of challenges, not least negotiating how much government funding it would retain. British Waterways in England received grants worth £47.4m last year, which will fall to £39m in its first year of independence.

But despite this cut – in line with those made to other government-backed organisations – the long-term settlement is relatively generous. It is worth £800m over 15 years, including a guaranteed index-linked grant and an extra £10m a year from 2015/16 onwards. The trust will also acquire £460m of property.

All this means that, unlike many other charities, it has a guaranteed package of basic funding. It also knows that any new income streams will not flow back to the Treasury. Tony Hales, chair of the trust, says the settlement will provide “a bedrock on which to build the future prosperity of our precious waterways”.

The trust has also thrashed out a deal over pensions. British Waterways’ generous government scheme is likely to be left open to existing members of staff, but will not apply to anyone joining the new organisation. But the scheme already has a substantial deficit. In its accounts, this is listed at £60m, but pensions experts say that if the trust were to close, the final shortfall would be closer to £200m.

The government has contributed a one-off payment intended to help with the existing shortfall, and issued a guarantee that it will meet the charity’s pension debts if it were to fold for any reason.

Despite the settlement, however, the new charity will not have the cash it needs to maintain about 2,200 miles of canals to the standard it would like. It says it can keep the waterways open and repaired with its core funding streams, but there is much more that it wants to achieve.

Its ambition is to raise an extra £20m a year. To that end it has appointed Ruth Ruderham, previously at Christian Aid, as head of fundraising and sunk time and effort into its fundraising strategy. It is similarly keen to boost volunteering to a level comparable to the National Trust, to which 60,000 people give time each year. Margaret Bennett, a director of Think Consulting Solutions, which worked with British Waterways to develop its fundraising and volunteering strategies, says: “Our research showed very early on that there was an appetite among people such as dog walkers, cyclists and boaters to give time and money to support their local canals.

“A lot of people think the canals are theirs,” she says. “The trust has a good strategy and a team focused on engaging with people who already use the canals. I think it is extremely well placed.”

The CRT has the potential to make fundraising more difficult for wildlife trusts, nature reserves and the National Trust. But Fiona Reynolds, the outgoing director of the trust, told Third Sector recently that she was delighted that there was “a viable proposition to protect the future of the canals and waterways”.

Ken Burnett, a fundraising consultant and author who worked briefly on the development of the CRT, says it will be very interesting to have a new organisation come into the sector. “To be honest, it might be good if it treads on a few toes,” he says. “I think there will be some resistance, and some people won’t welcome it, but I think the sector should embrace it.”

Another key issue for the new organisation has been how to consult a diverse set of stakeholders. Its answer has been to supplement its board of trustees with a council that includes cyclists, walkers, boaters, anglers, CRT employees and businesses based by the canals. Some of these groups have elected their representatives; in other cases they have been appointed. About 150 people will be part of the governance structure.

Mike Hudson, a consultant who worked with the charity to develop the structure, says he is sure it will work well. “I think this has the potential to show the way for other spin-outs from government,” he says.

Ivor Caplan, who has lived on the waterways for 15 years and was recently elected to the council as a representative of private boaters, says there is a lot of support for the organisation among the constituencies the council represents. “It’s the best opportunity for the waterways,” he says. “It wasn’t looking viable in government. Some people are still sceptical, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. But it gives all of us who use and enjoy the waterways a real chance to have a say in how they’re run.”

via Analysis: the Canal and River Trust casts off from the moorings of state.

I haven’t seen any such announcement and the last I heard was that the announcement was pending final Parliamentary procedures; however, it seems at . . . → Read More: Canal & River Trust to be launched on June 28th?]]> According to Chris Barnett writing in Waterways Forward on April 27, 2012 British Waterways will cease to exist on June 28th 2012 to be replaced by the new charity the Canal and River Trust,

I haven’t seen any such announcement and the last I heard was that the announcement was pending final Parliamentary procedures; however, it seems at least a good guess so I thought it was worth repeating…..even though the following link to the article promises more than it gives….

via Canal & River Trust on the way | Waterways Forward.

His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, a long-time supporter of the waterways, will become the first Patron of the new Canal & River Trust, the body being set up to care for the historic canals and rivers of England and Wales. . . . → Read More: The Prince of Wales to become patron of the Canal & River Trust]]> News announced at first meeting of the Trust’s Council

His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, a long-time supporter of the waterways, will become the first Patron of the new Canal & River Trust, the body being set up to care for the historic canals and rivers of England and Wales. The news was announced at the first meeting of the Trust’s Council in Birmingham on Wednesday, where members confirmed the appointment of the charity’s founding Trustees.

The Canal & River Trust is due to be launched this summer, taking over the waterways, museums and properties of British Waterways and The Waterways Trust in England and Wales.

Tony Hales, Chairman of the Canal & River Trust, says: “We are absolutely delighted that The Prince of Wales has agreed to become the Canal & River Trust’s founding Patron. As a passionate advocate for British heritage, nature, communities and tourism, The Prince will be an important voice of support for the Trust. The Prince’s patronage is further testimony to the incredible and wide-ranging support the Canal & River Trust has already received, and an important milestone in our journey towards establishing this exciting new charity.”

The Council of the Canal & River Trust will be the guardian of the long-term values and purposes of the Trust. Formed from a broad range of waterway stakeholders, the Council will play an important role in helping to shape policy and raising and debating issues. At its first meeting the Council voted to elect the ten Trustees of the Trust.

Tony Hales, who also shared the news that he would be stepping down from the Trust in March 2013 once everything was up and running, added: “The first meeting of the Canal & River Trust’s Council was another inspiring step. We have an enormous amount of experience among our Council members and the Trust will greatly benefit from the knowledge and passion they bring. I look forward to working with our new colleagues and friends to bring the Canal & River Trust’s cause to the hearts and minds of the public. It is wonderful to be able to feel I will have played a part in shaping something of great value for the nation when I retire in 2013.”

Today, the Trustees have published an update on the progress to date as the Canal & River Trust moves closer to launch. The update is online here: www.waterscape.com/trustees

The Canal & River Trust is setting up 13 Waterways Partnerships and following the recent recruitment of five new chairs the . . . → Read More: Get involved with the Waterways Partnerships]]> Last year, the Government announced that British Waterways would transfer its canals and rivers to a charity, the Canal & River Trust. The Canal & River Trust will be up and running in 2012.

The Canal & River Trust is setting up 13 Waterways Partnerships and following the recent recruitment of five new chairs the search is now on to find members for these Partnerships.

Members wanted

Each Partnership will consist of 8-12 Members. Members will work closely with their chair and waterway manager to develop an overarching vision for the Trust’s waterways within the Partnership area and develop strategies and plans to encourage more people to use and get involved with their local waterway.

We are now recruiting for Members for the following Partnerships:

• North East
• Central Shires
• East Midlands
• London
• South East

The roles are voluntary with expenses paid and will involve approximately 2-4 days a month of your time.

For more information and to apply, please click on the links below:

• Role Profile
• Terms of reference
• Application form

Closing date for applications: 20 April 2012

Last updated: 21/03/2012

via Get involved with the Waterways Partnerships.

A CAMPAIGN group is using the Freedom of Information Act to uncover the details of a crackdown on illegally moored boats in Oxford.

Earlier this month it emerged Oxford City Council is paying £44,000 over two years towards work by the Unlawfully Moored Boats Enforcement . . . → Read More: Boaters launch campaign against inspectors]]> Thursday 15th March 2012 from Oxford News By Andrew Ffrench

A CAMPAIGN group is using the Freedom of Information Act to uncover the details of a crackdown on illegally moored boats in Oxford.

Earlier this month it emerged Oxford City Council is paying £44,000 over two years towards work by the Unlawfully Moored Boats Enforcement Group (Umbeg).

Although Umbeg was established in 2010, its existence only became public after the city council agreed to provide the funding.

Now the National Bargee Travellers’ Association has submitted an FOI request to the council to find out more about Umbeg and how it operates.

The request asks for a copy of the terms of reference, the work plan and the minutes of all past meetings of the group.

And it has asked for a copy of any “memoranda of understanding” between the different Umbeg group members – which include British Waterways, the Environment Agency, Thames Valley Police and other landowners – and a breakdown of the budget and the budget contributors.

Association spokesman Panda Smith, 54, said boaters from Oxford have contacted the organisation because of their concerns about how Umbeg could affect them.

Based on a boat on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire, she said: “We are using the Freedom of Information Act to try to find out whose idea it was to set up Umbeg in the first place.

“If boaters are forced to move off their boats then they will automatically become homeless and the consequences will be increased homelessness and demand for housing benefit.

“We have been arguing for local authorities to include boat dwellers under the provision for travellers and other nomadic people. Boat dwellers fall through every policy and legislative net that there is.

Tony Swatton, 73, who has been living on his cabin cruiser Tapper on the River Thames for the past 12 years, said: “I don’t support the council funding Umbeg.

“If all boaters played by the rules there would be no need for an organisation like this.

“I pay £314 a year for a licence but I have never paid a mooring fee because I just keep moving.

“Twenty-four hour mooring is free – it’s a brilliant life and I wouldn’t change it.”

The city council declined to comment but confirmed it had received the FOI request.

According to the Environment Agency, if you keep, or mainly use, your boat on the River Thames you should have a legitimate base mooring.

If you live on your boat as your only place of residence on a permanent mooring, the mooring must have approved residential use.

via Boaters launch campaign against inspectors (From Oxford Mail).

The Canal & River Trust, the charity that will become the guardian of British Waterways’ 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales in 2012, has appointed three new trustees to its Board.

The new trustees bring considerable business skills and experience to the Trust. In addition their specialist knowledge . . . → Read More: New trustees appointed to the Canal & River Trust]]> 13th Mar 2012

The Canal & River Trust, the charity that will become the guardian of British Waterways’ 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales in 2012, has appointed three new trustees to its Board.

The new trustees bring considerable business skills and experience to the Trust. In addition their specialist knowledge in the key areas of finance, asset management and property investment will benefit the charity, which will be the third largest owner of listed buildings in the UK and one of the top 20 charities by income.

The three new trustees are:

Marisa Cassoni

A qualified chartered accountant since 1975, Marisa has been the Finance Director of the John Lewis Partnership, one of the UK’s leading department stores, since June 2006.

Prior to this, Marisa spent five years as Group Finance Director at The Royal Mail where she played an instrumental role in guiding the company through its renewal programme.Between 1998 and 2001 Marisa was the Group Finance Director at Britannic Assurance plc and was the Group Finance Director of Prudentials UK division from 1994 to 1998.

In 2005 Marisa was appointed non-executive Director of GFI, a company listed on New York Stock Exchange where she chairs the audit committee.

Marisa is a Governor of the Peabody Trust and, until very recently, was a member of the Accounting Standards Board.

Manish Chande

A member of the institute of chartered accountants and a chartered surveyor Manish Chande is Senior Partner of Mountgrange, a private real estate group that specialises in UK commercial property investment and development. He has been in the real estate business for 28 years.

Before joining Mountgrange, Manish was on the main board of Land Securities plc. In 1997 he co-founded and was Chief Executive Officer of Trillium, a company specialising in property outsourcing.Prior to Trillium, Manish worked at Imry Merchant Developers plc as the Finance Director, and then as Chief Executive in 1995. Manish originally trained as a chartered accountant and has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales since 1980.

In 2003, he was appointed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as a Commissioner of English Heritage, a position he held until 2011; and in 2007 was appointed a Trustee of The London Clinic, one of the UK’s premier private hospitals.

Steve Shine OBE

Since 2007, Steve has been Thames Water’s Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Main Board. He is leaving in March 2012 to take on new challenges.

Steve started his career with London Electricity Board in 1973 as an apprentice Electrician, whilst working he qualified as an Electrical Power Engineer and later took degrees in Management, Marketing and in 1993 he finally gained a Masters in Business.

Steve worked his way through various roles in the electricity business and became the MD of London Electricity Contracting and a member of the Executive Board of London Electricity Later EDF in 1996.

In 2000 he worked to form a Joint Venture between Eastern Electricity and London Electricity known as 24Seven and became the MD of this very successful company. In 2003 Steve left the Electricity sector to become the CEO of SGB UK, part of Harsco Corporation an industrial services company, where he transformed the performance of the business. In 2010, Steve was awarded the OBE by the Queen for services to industry.

Expertise and knowledge

Tony Hales, Chairman (ed. Transitional Trustees) of the Canal & River Trust, comments:

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome the three new trustees onto the (ed. Transitional) Board of the Canal & River Trust. The new trustees bring a huge amount of expertise and knowledge to the Trust, particularly in the areas which will be key to our future success.

“We are now in the final detailed processes of transferring the canal and rivers in England and Wales over to the charity so these new trustees join us at a really interesting and challenging time.

”The candidates’ appointments will be ratified at the first meeting of the Trust’s Council in March for an initial three year term. The new trustees will not be paid, although travel and other expenses will be reimbursed.

The recruitment of the new trustees was undertaken by a Defra constituted Appointments Committee made up of two existing trustees and two independents.

via New trustees appointed to the Canal & River Trust | News | Waterscape.

The RYA’s Head of Government Affairs, Gus Lewis, and the BMF’s Executive Director, Howard Pridding, met with HMRC officials this week to discuss the Minister’s recent statement on the continued use of marked ‘red’ diesel in the UK.

The crux of the issue is the proposed declaration that boaters have to make . . . → Read More: Boaters’ concerns over red diesel recognised by HMRC]]> 7th Mar 2012

The RYA’s Head of Government Affairs, Gus Lewis, and the BMF’s Executive Director, Howard Pridding, met with HMRC officials this week to discuss the Minister’s recent statement on the continued use of marked ‘red’ diesel in the UK.

The crux of the issue is the proposed declaration that boaters have to make when buying red diesel in the UK. The RYA and the BMF wanted to clarify the Government’s intentions over this declaration and to propose alternative wording that simply reminds recreational boaters that other coastal states may have their own legislation for boats which are cruising in their waters.

HMRC has now confirmed that the Government does not intend to make it unlawful for red diesel bought in the UK to be used outside UK territorial waters.

HMRC has also confirmed that the wording of the legislation and the declaration that boaters will make at the time of purchase will be amended. The RYA and BMF are confident that their concerns over the declaration will be addressed when the consultation has closed.

Gus Lewis comments, “The proposed revised wording for the declaration was unacceptable and we are pleased that HMRC has recognised our serious concerns. We have proposed to HMRC alternative wording that we believe would avoid boaters having to acknowledge falsely that they are aware of restrictions on fuel usage that do not exist.”

Howard Pridding added, “We have worked with the same officials at HMRC for many years on this issue, who understand the importance to the industry and their customers of the continued availability of red diesel. We are hopeful that HMRC’s efforts on this issue will assuage the European Commission’s concerns and end the infraction proceedings.”

The consultation closes on 11 March 2012.

via Boaters’ concerns over red diesel recognised by HMRC | News | Waterscape.