Some local councils have cut their budgets that support the Basingstoke Canal. The Canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) protected site and is jointly owned by Surrey and Hampshire County Councils and the local riparian councils. The canal is a beautiful space for us all to enjoy but funding is needed to keep it this way and to ensure the 32 mile stretch of waterway can continue to be enjoyed by all, both now and for future generations.
With budget cuts already confirmed by some local councils this poses a real challenge ahead for the management and upkeep of this waterway that keeps it navigable. The support is already extremely stretched and further impacts could ultimately result in potential derelict areas, a decline in towpath maintenance making it impassable and unusable, a decline in the environment for the nature that inhabits there and not forgetting limitations for boaters, paddle boarders and users of this wonderful local amenity.
If we fast forward to 2023…
The Basingstoke Canal is a great local resource to help us all, our friends and our families, feel healthier, happier and connected both to their community and to nature!
- You can use the ‘Green Gym’ free of charge which can make you feel happier and is sure to help you support your physical and mental health.
- Spending time by a canal can make you feel happier according to a Inland Waterways Study with Glasgow University in 2018. Step out onto the Basingstoke Canal towpath today and find out!
- The Basingstoke Canal is ranked #13 of the top 100 waterways in the world and is both beautiful and rich in nature. Funding is crucial to keep this unique environment protected for species that live there.
- You can become part of our charity by volunteering and feeling connected to both the local area and to new friends or by becoming a member and staying up to date with our news and work.
- The Basingstoke Canal drives spending in your local area both from locals and visitors, whether that’s by buying a cup of coffee in an independent café or paying for parking nearby. Supporting the Basingstoke Canal Society could be considered as an investment in your local area.
The Basingstoke Canal Society is launching a major campaign to help protect our canal. Help us ‘Keep Your Canal Alive’! There are many ways you can help today:
- Become a member of the Basingstoke Canal Society for only £15 per year.
- Make a one off donation easily online.
- Follow us on social media, if you have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or are on Linked in, like, follow and share our messages with your friends and family.
- Look out for future ways you can help the campaign over the coming months.