Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

Chris Coyle (member since 1987, Director and Company Secretary since 2008)

I have been a narrow-boater since the early 1980's, and the proud owner of a share in a boat since 1994.

Although I lived in Hertfordshire at the time, a business visit in 1987 to Wantage led me to spot by chance the profile of a dry canal in the car park of the factory I was visiting. This led me to join the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group (as it was then). Over the next few years I worked on the canal, on the WRG Big Dig, and at other sites, mainly at Foxham and Wootton Bassett.

A Chartered Accountant by training, I have been Finance Director of a number of companies. My work as an accountant and a self-employed management consultant gave me little time for the canal, but it did give me a lot of experience in company administration, and in helping businesses of all sizes and types with a large range of problems to solve.

In 2001 I moved to Bath. In 2008 I decided to retire (mostly) and to take a more active role in the canal restoration. I was very pleased to be asked to take on the role of Company Secretary following the AGM in 2008.

If re-elected I will try to ensure that the Trust is run effectively, so that we can make the maximum contribution to the Partnership and its task of restoration.

1st September 2009