|
I AM not in the least surprised that Canal & River Trust is being delayed, and have doubts that it will ever happen.
As our Allan Richards informed us, British Waterways issued no Press Release about its known hold-up in the formation of Canal & River Trust, but attempted to play down the delay by briefing selected sympathetic journalists, who would 'toe the party line', narrowboatworld obviously not included.
As I have seen the way the new charity is being manipulated to suit the whims and interests of the powers-that-be, together with lack of adequate resources, it is obvious that it will never pass the scrutiny of both the House of Commons, the House of Lords the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly as a bona fide charity.
No income stream
Where is the all important income stream? Other than that from boaters and the token from anglers, which will never be enough to support the charity, there is none. With the obvious dumping by the government of British Waterways into a charity, it still has to be seen to have a reliable and constant income stream before it will be allowed its charitable status.
The likening of the proposed charity to the National Trust has often been purveyed, but it does have reliable and constant income streams in its members subscriptions and admission charges to its many properties as well as exceptionally generous donations and benefits from benefactors.
Non-starter
What would Canal & River Trust have? None of these. No one is going to pay a membership for the waterways. No one is going to donate or leave cash for a waterway. The hope of county, district or parish councils giving cash, that has been suggested, is a non-starter, especially in the current financial climate—as nothing can be offered in return.
British Waterways has already appointed a Head of Fund Raising, Ruth Ruderham, at a annual salary of £70,300—needless to say plus bonuses—but what has she done to secure this all important income stream? We are left in the dark, but can easily guess...
Biggest hurdle
But of course to many boaters the biggest hurdle is the continuation of the same hierarchy heading the proposed new charity, whose past performances and high salaries (even the prime minister complained of the astronomical annual 'earnings' of three of them, with Robin Evans pocketing £234,050 plus 'extras') that prompted a snap poll in narrowboatworld over a period of just three days. The result was that 83 of you voted for them to continue in office, but 3,742 of you voted that they should not continue in office when Canal & River Trust came into being.
Perhaps by the obviously necessary clean-sweep, the resulting appointment of normal unpaid charity directors, with a more balanced representation and of course the necessary reliable income stream then there is a chance. But surely, not until.
Tom Crossley |
