To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the borough of Sefton, we have teamed up with Volunteer Centre Sefton and local organisations to offer volunteering taster sessions throughout the year. The first session kicked off enthusiastically during Volunteers’ Week and coincided with the first day of The Big Help Out.

Our team collaborated with The Canal & River Trust on the Bootle stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, enjoying a day on the water aboard the ‘Mersey,’ the Trust’s barge.

We welcomed volunteers from the public and organisations WSP and Pershing and split into two groups in the morning. One group picked litter from the canal on the barge, while the other, the ‘Towpath Taskforce,’ cleared weeds and debris from the canalside to protect the towpath.

After lunch, the entire group enjoyed a scenic boat ride down the canal, taking in the sights, waving to children from a local nursery, observing beautiful wildlife, and, most importantly, clearing litter from the canal using various tools, including a large net and rakes.

Lauren Jones, Volunteer Centre Sefton Coordinator said:

‘We had a wonderful day on the barge and towpath and learnt so much from The Canal & River Trust about environmental volunteering. The volunteers are vital to help protect the environment and support the wildlife in our local waterways’.

To sign up to become a regular ‘Towpath Taskforce’ Volunteer, please follow this link. Follow us on social media for more pictures and videos @Sefton4Good

We will be organising more one off taster sessions; dates can be found here. Check back as these are updated regularly!