West Vale Work Parties

West Vale Branch regular monthly work-parties are always held on the Saturday following our branch meetings (second Wednesday of every month). What work will be done and the labour available is discussed at the meeting.

We usually meet at our 'compound' (known by branch members as 'the cupboard)', where our tools and machinery are kept, any time after 9am. The compound is located in the Canalside Park in Stainswick Lane Shrivenham.
Stay as long as you like - but we generally work until mid afternoon. Bring refreshments with you, we have a tea hut. ( known as 'the brewery').

People of all ages and abilities are welcome but there are restrictions on the jobs that under 16s and the untrained will be allowed to do. However we do provide training in all aspects of canal restoration from digging mud with shovels to driving machines that dig mud with shovels. We are good at machine maintenance as well (budding mechanics please note).
Canal restoration encompasses every skill known to mankind!!! ( Believe me it does!)
So most of us don't dig mud!

Much more info can be had by contacting West Vale's WPO - Chris Forward (see contacts page).

We also have mid-week workparties most weeks, and again all are welcome, contact Graham Banks for details.

Workparties are also occasionally held on Steppingstone Bridge (no under 16s here though as it is a building site). These workparties or work camps range from 1 to 15 days long. Skills required range from bricklaying to labouring, surveying to mixing mortar (again training is available). This project has many visiting volunteers from all over the world and especially other branches. It is also a Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) Project as well. To get more info on dates etc. contact Martin Thompson , the bridge project officer.
Or for WRG camps via their web site. Waterway Recovery Group

See more about the Steppingstone Lane Bridge Project

The list below shows future planned work-parties for the West Vale Branch:

22May