Canal Camps
Details of 2008 camps are online. To view them, please use the pull-down box on the left. Alternatively read the Camps Preview (PDF from Navvies 228 April-May 2008) or the 2008 Camps Flyer (3.5Mb PDF).

A Canal Camp is....
...an enjoyable week's outdoor holiday spent working on the canals
...an opportunity to meet all sorts of new people from all walks of life, and from all over the country - and abroad.
...a chance to do your bit for the environment
...a worthwhile and fun-filled week with plenty of social activities when you're not actually working
...an excellent opportunity to qualify for one of the sections of your Duke of Edinburgh's Award
...a chance to gain lots of CV points
...a chance to do 101 things you have never done before.....

Where you might find yourself...

Restoring a bit of Britain's industrial heritage Demolishing old brickwork & stonework
Clearing a canal lock of 'orrible smelly black silt
Cooking for around 20 very hungry volunteers Learning to lay bricks or mix concrete
Driving a digger or dumper truck
Helping to set up & run a major national festival Felling trees, clearing vegetation & pulling up stumps

What's it like?
Follow the "what's it like" link on the left to see real comments from real campers. Also see the "photos & messages from previous camps" sections, which have photos from earlier canal camps - and contain comments from people who went on them!

What sort of work do we do on a canal camp?
Follow the "variety of work" link on the left.

Where are we going this year?
Pick a site from the "this year's canal camps" pulldown box on the left.

How to make your booking
Look at all the different sites for this year and decide:
bulletis traveling convenient?
bulletare the dates suitable?
bulletdoes the work sound interesting?
bulletwill you be able to learn some useful new skills?

When you have selected your Canal Camp, select the "book this camp now" link from the page for that camp. Please note:

bulletBookings from volunteers attending their first camp are only accepted for the full duration of that camp. This applies especially to any volunteers participating in an award scheme such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
bulletPlease only apply if you really think you can come. Last minute cancellations are difficult to fill, so we do not usually make refunds.
bulletThink carefully before applying for two consecutive weeks at the same site. Experience has shown us that people get much more tired and achieve far less on their second week. We do not normally accept bookings for more than two consecutive weeks of Camps.

Note: WRG reserve the right to decline bookings without specifying a reason.

Be properly dressed for your Camp
The best way to be recognised when arriving at a Canal Camp is to wear a bright red Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camps T-shirt. If arriving by train this is the ideal way to meet up with the other volunteers arriving on the same train! By long-established tradition WRG T-shirts are bright red with white lettering, but an alternative black with white lettering is also available. T-shirts cost £6 including post and packaging (cheques to 'WRG') and are available in medium, large and extra large sizes. Send your order to WRG, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 1ZY.

Already been on a canal camp?
If so, there may already be some photos online - follow the "photos & messages" pulldown box on the left. You can also leave your comments about the camp - and leave your email address so other campers can stay in touch. If there are no photos of your camp already - and you have some - then please contact webmaster@wrg.org.uk. We would like to have online photos from all the camps this year, so please send us some if you can!

Meet up again at the Bonfire Bash!
Our main Canal Camps programme ends in October, but that doesn’t mean we go into hibernation for the winter!

WRG runs a major weekend work-party around Bonfire Night each year. Well over 100 volunteers usually turn up - that means a huge amount of work done, a big party on the Saturday night, and plenty of opportunities to meet up and swap gossip, memories and photos with volunteers from all the summer’s Canal Camps and the rest of WRG.

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