January 11th 2018

Crusader Community Boating  -  Open Evening
Colin Neal, Boatmaster & Chair of Trustees

Colin will be introducing the local charity which is based at Blisworth Marina. The charity, run by volunteers, runs trips aboard a specially adapted wide beam boat for disabled and disadvantaged people from all over Northamptonshire. He will explain a little about the history and development of the charity, illustrated by a selection of slides showing our beautiful local waterway.

Some members have already enjoyed private charter trips on the wide beam boat from Gayton Junction during the summer of 2016 and 2017 and this is an opportunity to find out about the charity's main activity.

Review of the evening
Colin  was having a full-on Boating Day when he came to see us, as he had spent the day at the London Boat Show, on a fact-finding mission for a new project that the charity is looking into. 

He gave us an interesting talk about the boating service, from its beginnings under St John Ambulance to the present day when the charity is run by the volunteers who are now responsible for raising funds as well as operating the service. Colin is passionate about the work of the charity and loves to talk about it to anyone who will listen. He and the crew are hopeful of obtaining funds to purchase a second boat in the near future to accommodate the growing number of passengers from all areas, whether disabled adults and young people, elderly residents from Care Homes, young children or private groups. Last year the charity took 94 groups of disabled people and elderly residents from Care Homes on trips aboard Mountbatten and they all loved it and look forward to coming again this year. The private trips, of which there are a growing number, help considerably with the on going expenses of the boat.

Paula makes and sells greetings cards for the charity and she brought along some for the members to look at and buy. All profits go to the charity.

Some recent passengers on 'Mountbatten Crusader'