News & Media > Waterways Services
20:10:2011
New name for Britain's waterways charity
The decision has been taken following extensive public and internal consultation and market research into the replacement for the British Waterways name and brand.
The new name and brand reflect the important step the Government is taking in creating a successor organisation to hold the waterways in trust for the nation in perpetuity. The change also offers an opportunity to attract the attention of, and to appeal to, the wider public.
Tony Hales, chairman of the transition trustees, said: “Our canals and rivers have been part of the fabric of the country's landscape for 250 years and putting them in trust for the nation is the start of a new chapter in the renaissance of the waterways.
“People have told us that the waterways are important to them as a local haven, for themselves and for nature. Stepping onto a towpath is like entering a different world, where the stress of daily life can be escaped. The Canal & River Trust and our new symbol represent what our waterways mean to so many people.”
The Welsh name for the new charity, Glandwr Cymru, translates literally as ‘Waterside Wales' – giving the trust a distinctly Welsh character and focus for its waterways in Wales.
The British Waterways brand will stay alive in Scotland, where the waterways currently managed by British Waterways Scotland will be kept in the public sector and will not form part of the Canal & River Trust.
Footnote: May Gurney has a long-term framework contract with British Waterways. The contract is worth around £20m per annum and includes repairs to 200 year-old locks, bridges, aqueducts, weirs, reservoirs, tunnels, towpaths, embankments and cuttings.
