Cleaning the cut

Big Birmingham Canal Clean Up to take place next weekend.

Ever wondered what an electric guitar, a motorcycle and a shopping trolley have in common? They were all found at the bottom of the Birmingham Canal Navigations as part of a canal clean-up!

This year’s big Birmingham canal clean-up begins Saturday 30th March, and ends Sunday 31st March 2019. The event will start on the historic Dudley No 2 Canal. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome to come along, get stuck in and help clear-up the canal bed and towpath.

The event takes place from 10am–4pm on 30th & 31st March, at Canal and River Trust Yard, the side of St Peters Church Hall, Netherton, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 9HQ. No pre-registration is necessary. All those joining in will be given gloves and tools for the job, but you are advised to wear old clothing, waterproofs and sturdy foot wear.

The Birmingham Canal Navigations clean-up is held every year and always proves very popular – over the last four years, 140 tonnes of rubbish has been cleared from the Navigations. The first canal to be built in the area was the Birmingham Canal, which was constructed from 1768 to 1772 and the city’s extensive system of waterways has led to claims that it has more miles of canal than Venice.

It is hoped the annual effort on the Birmingham Canal Navigations will help to keep the less well-used parts of the canal network from getting choked up with rubbish and becoming impassable for boats, canoeists, and waterway users. The canals are also visited by walkers, families, anglers, cyclists and joggers who will all benefit from a clearer canal-side.

This is your chance to clean-up your local canal – for more information contact Chris Morgan 07974 111354 or email: [email protected]

This event is supported by volunteers from Inland Waterways Association, Waterway Recovery Group, Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, Dudley Canal Trust, Coombeswood Canal Trust, Canal & River Trust, Friends of Tipton Cut and local residents.