Rangers Role & Activity

Support the Grantham Canal Rangers

The Grantham Canal, a regional and national asset extending for 33 miles across three counties, is effectively a linear water based linear park providing opportunities for walkers, cyclists, canoeists, anglers and, most importantly, it is multi-dimensional conservation asset.

The Grantham Canal Society was awarded a £10,000 grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to establish a team of Grantham Canal Rangers, an initiative supported by British Waterways ( in their new-found enthusiasm for working with volunteers) and local communities.  The GCCLG (Grantham Canal Community Liaison Group) and the six local authorities are all actively supportive.

Our objective is to engage with the wider canal corridor community, people who are interested in the canal but not necessarily in `hands on’ physical restoration and maintenance work as currently undertaken by the existing Grantham Canal Society.

This project will

• raise peoples awareness of the quality of the canal side environment
• encourage outdoor activities contributing to a healthier lifestyle
• improve understanding of different people, places and culture in our local community
• help bring different communities closer together
• seek to improve the quality and safety of the physical environment
• provide educational opportunities

The kind of activities the rangers are involved in include:

1. Scheduled patrols of each section of canal, checking state and condition

2. Reporting concerns and issues to BW and GC maintenance teams

3. Dissemination of information to towpath users and local community

4. Recruitment of new/ active members to the GCS

5. Fund raising – for sustainability of the Wardens initiative and other canal activity

6. Litter picking, incidental repairs and maintenance

7. Educational – schools and youth clubs close to the canal will be encouraged to visit under the the close supervision of their carers/ responsible adults

8. Co-organisation and support of canalside events with the local communities and to draw visitors into the canal corridor

The Grantham Canal Society, under whose auspices the Canal Rangers operate, assists with training the volunteers, as did British Waterways. They provided training in Risk Assessment, First Aid and water safety.  Training by all parties was provided to British Waterways’ standards and approval.

It is planned that local, village-based workshops, talks and guided walks will be undertaken to raise people’s awareness of the canal’s historical, conservation and recreational value.