This Month`s Good Cause - July 2013

Somewhat belatedly, we turn our attention to this month`s good cause.

This is a relatively recent project of mine, whereby each month I highlight a cause (usually charitable) which I believe to be worthy of your attention

The idea is that over a year I will `kinda sorta` strike a balance between local, national and international initiatives.

This time I`m going for a local flavour and a slightly different type of issue to those I`ve highlighted in the past.

Not so long ago, I attended a `boat rally` near my home.

The occasion was the 40th anniversary of the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association (http://erewashcanalpreservationanddevelopmentassoc.org.uk)  and  the 45th anniversary of the clearing of the site of the Great Northern Basin, which was where the event took place.

There was music from the Holymoorside Brass Band (www.holymoorsideband.co.uk) , and stalls/displays promoting various waterway/conservation bodies, including Shardlow Heritage Centre (http://homepages.which.net/~shardlow.heritage , www.canaljunction.com/museum/shardlow.htm), Inland Waterways Association (www.waterways.org.uk), Friends of Cromford Canal (www.cromfordcanal.info) and the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust ( http://derbycanal.org.uk).

There was a lot to see and I don`t doubt that there were other equally interesting groups present which have slipped my mind.

The two I`d like to highlight this month are these ; 

 Friends of Cromford Canal, "a charitable organisation whose aim is to see the restoration of the historic Comford Canal for the benefit of the general public" and who "advocate and promote its` restoration to navigation, connecte to the national inland waterway system."

and


Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust, "a registered charity whose objective is to restore the canal to a navigable waterway" with a "multi-user towpath to enable acess to all." 

I`ve selected these for the sheer scope of their ambition and for their resourcefulness - the restoration of a canal is no small undertaking and if either or both can bring their plans to fruition it will be pretty impressive.

I`ll close by recunting a rather puzzling conversation I had with one of the private stallholders as I made a purchase. "Are you from one of the boats or are you local ?" she asked. i replied, naturally enough, that I was local. "Oh" she replied, with obvious surprise "you don`t seem the sort."

Still trying to work that one out !

Previous Causes

I`d like to also higjhlight the causes I`ve endorsed in previous months -

June 2013 - NHS Blood and Transplant (www.blood.co.uk)

May 2013 - Anti Slavery (www.antislavery.org)

April 2013 - Derbyshire Blood Bikes (www.derbyshirebloodbikes.org)

March 2013 - Brake (www.brake.org.uk)

Good causes one and all, and I`d encourage you to find out more by clicking on the links provided.