A 100-year-old canal boat should soon be restored and back in the water thanks to
a £168,000 grant from the UK National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund.
The barge,
called Hazel, belongs to the Wooden Canal Boat Society (WCBS) and society
members have already put over 30 years of work into the restoration project.
Hazel was
built in 1914 and was donated to the WCBS in 1980. The society has already
invested over £133,000 in trying to restore the barge to its former glory, but
the project is still a work in progress so the Big Lottery Fund windfall will
come in very useful.
All the
money and effort put into Hazel's restoration will also benefit a good cause because
when the barge is fully restored the society intends to use it to provide canal
trips to people suffering from mental health problems.
The society
hopes to have Hazel fully functional by the summer, but a lot of work is still
required before the dream can become a reality and WCBS founder, Chris Leah, is anxious to get things moving.
"We
need to get cracking in order to have Hazel ready by the middle of the summer
and time is racing on," Leah said.
Speaking of
the importance of the Big Lottery Funds contribution to the project, WCBS
trustee Nicolas Lowther said, "The Big Lottery Fund award will enable
Hazel to play its role in bringing a sense of well-being to an increasing number
of people living with, and recovering from, depression, anxiety and the
associated impacts of social isolation."
The Big
Lottery Fund is responsible for distributing 40% of the money the UK National
Lottery sets aside for good causes. The money is used to provide assistance to
community groups and projects that are believed to have a positive impact on
health, education, and the environment.
