(…along with Friends of the Blue Loop Group)
Through Deborah’s involvement with the Olympic Legacy Park, we were made aware of a volunteering group which is helping to clean-up the area around Sheffield’s River and Canal. So, in August, Deborah and I answered a ‘call for volunteers’ to give up a few hours to help with the clean-up down at the Tinsley Canal.
For those who might not know, the “Blue Loop” is a continuous loop of waterways and riverside walkways in the heart of Sheffield, made up of The River Don and Tinsley Canal. It travels for about 8 miles from the city centre and flows close by the communities of Burngreave, Attercliffe, Darnall and Tinsley. The Friends of the Blue Loop is a voluntary group, made up of members of the local community who work with the Sheffield Canal and Rivers Trust who run volunteer sessions every Wednesday between 10:30am and 1:30pm and through all of their hard work and dedication, the grandeur of the canal is becoming visible again, the trees and wildflowers have been given space to breathe and the vital safety repairs that have been carried out over time are making it a pleasant and friendly environment. The exact location of the clean-up activity varies each week, as the group covers the whole area of the Blue Loop.
On the day we volunteered, Deborah and I found ourselves down by the Canal Basin – we were given a choice of tasks from lopping and chopping of over-grown vegetation, collecting litter, cleaning pathways, mending walls, removing graffiti, removal of debris from the canal (a fridge was actually recovered from the water on the day we were there!)…… and the one we chose was to don overalls and help to sand and re-paint one of the bridges. The group varies in numbers each week – on the day we attended, there were about 20 or so volunteers – all from different walks of life…..retirees, professional workers on volunteer days like ourselves from the Council, Meadowhall, Supertram etc, a few youth offenders on community service …….even the local PC turned up to help out – all wanting to muck in and do their bit for the community
Some of the regulars have been quietly going about this work for the past 5 years – there was a real community spirit about the group – and they work all year round, even through the winter months!
All tools, equipment and protective gear is provided by Blue Loop and the Canal and River Group – we even received a short Health and Safety briefing before we started – so all you have to do is turn up with sturdy shoes, it’s that easy! Halfway through the morning they gave us a steaming cup of tea or coffee with biscuits and we had a chance to chat with the workers involved in the other tasks.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable few hours and even though we were only there for 4 hours, you could notice a difference on the bridge we worked on – it felt very rewarding to have made a small contribution to a very worthwhile cause and in addition, we also discovered parts of Sheffield we hadn’t come across before!
If you’d like to give it a go, you can get in touch with Hellen Hornby at the River Stewardship Company Hellen.Hornby@the-rsc.co.uk or check out their website RSC and Blue Loop Community Project – you’d be made to feel very welcome.
And even if you don’t fancy volunteering, why not try the walk down the canal from Victoria Quays out to Tinsley, or the one along the River Don from Castlegate to Meadowhall…..apparently, you won’t be disappointed!
