Meet the team

The Staffordshire Hub comprises of Helen (Senior), Andrew, Diane, Amanda and Steven.
We are few in number but we have a lot of canal to cover – Staffordshire is one of the busiest counties in the country for canal movements! 
Together, we averaged approx. 72 volunteers hours per month! 

But first, have a look at some of the details of what happens within the Waterways Chaplaincy.

Waiting and Change

From Andrew

Waiting and Change seem constant themes on the Waterways, both in terms of chaplaincy but also life on and around the canals. There is waiting to get through a lock whether that is for another boat or for repairs to the lock. These can be frustrating or opportunities to be more aware of what is happening around us. The changing seasons bring changes of scenery and different visitors. Fradley Junction is a beautiful place to see these changes and a privilege to share in the community of those who live and work there as well as the visitors.

For continuous cruisers, not having an address can make getting medical help difficult. I helped Boater M to complete a new patient form and took him to the surgery to return it and for his appointment. He is grateful there is someone to help.

Further afield, website referrals meant helping boaters P and J with moorings near Rugeley enabling them to sort out their licenses and boater R in Alvecote with challenges he is facing due to age and health issues.

We often think of cities as busy and rural village life as quiet, but the reverse can be true on the canals. On a recent charity cycle for homeless young people around central and north west Birmingham, I was struck by the lack of boats. There was some evidence of homelessness, but more anglers than boaters so different from the busyness at Fradley. Birmingham City Centre saw the changing landscape from upmarket new developments to very rundown parts in just a few hundred meters.

These changes must influence the Waterways community in different ways. For me the changes are a source of prayer and praise to our creator God.   

Busiest lock on our network on our patch

Topping the charts as the busiest lock on our network is Colwich Lock 21. This is just south of Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal Source: April 2025 – From the Canal and River Trust Annual Lockage Report

The above picture shows an example of a narrow lock, for which there are 76 along the route in our area. This listed structure sits in the very centre of England, in a beautiful rural setting, so it’s no surprise it’s such a hub of activity. It’s a small but vital piece of the Father of English canals, James Brindley’s vision for the ‘Grand Cross’; a national network of navigations to link the country’s four great rivers, the Mersey, Trent, Severn and Thames. 

The lock was used 6965 times in 2024!   The Star Lock in Stone came out as Number 16 with 4120 usages.

Waterways Chaplaincy work is celebrated in an Advent Window

The Things we do…

Some of Helens Adventures

I received an email one dark and wintery evening in December from the manager at Aston Marina concerning a boater (E) who had contacted them and was in a bit of a fix. This boater had visited the Marina earlier in the day and set off to go south. Unfortunately, halfway between Aston and Burston they had run aground on some gravel and were stuck fast.

Being a lone female boater, they were rather anxious. It was dark and there was little anyone could do at that point as they were in the middle of nowhere, pitch black and it was pouring with rain.  I contacted the boater and checked she was safe and was able to sit it out until it was light the next morning. E phoned me a while later as the water coming out of her taps on the boat had gone brown. The boat was listing a bit but she was happy to stay put and felt safe.

I promised to take her some water as soon as I could in the morning – she would at least need a cup of tea by then!  At 7.00am the next morning E texted me to say that in the night the boat had, due to the rain, floated off the gravel and she had managed to moor up a bit further south and was okay.

I set off to take her some water – I could ride on my bike only to Aston, then came a long muddy slog along a very slippy and wet towpath for well over a mile, pushing the bike with bottles of water in the basket. I finally found her, as it happened, just by Burston Bridge (if only I had known that), left her the water (she was not up) and biked back along the A51 from Burston in the teeming rain. I texted E to say I had left the water and would return after the Advent Window opening that morning. So I returned (this time in the car) to Burston and had a cup of coffee on board while we planned for the next stage.

A fascinating person

E was a fascinating person – she had been a missionary in the far East and evangelised all around the world. She loved having contact with a chaplain, she was a real woman of faith – she knew that God would be keeping her safe throughout whatever happened. E was heading South but first needed to get to Great Haywood to get some things sorted on the boat.

She needed more water refills and rubbish to be removed so I took water bottles and rubbish, arranged to meet her at Sandon Lock to help her. Having helped her there, I nipped home in the car, to dispose of the rubbish, fill up the water and collect my husband John (a CRT volunteer) to come and help as we got E through the next two locks.

So, we met her again at Weston Lock not realising just how far Weston Lock is from Weston – quite a hike! From there, John cadged a lift aboard the boat whilst I walked back to get the car and drive to Hoo Mill Lock with the water bottles and meet them there. Another hike carrying the water I might add! Having seen E safely through Hoo Mill lock she sailed on her way now just near Great Haywood Marina to get the boat fixed and prepare for the next stage of her journey. John and I walked back to the car and home.

A couple of days later E texted me to say she had made it safely to Atherstone and was progressing well on her journey – I wonder if I might meet her again one day!