Fund Britain's Waterways has a window of opportunity to get our message across while the Government is finalising its Spending Review, and we need as much help as we can get to make one more push.

The FBW campaign cruise for 2025 will be starting in late March and progressing from Doncaster and points across the country to London, to lay off the Palace of Westminster at 11.00 on Wednesday 7 May and sound horns to make our presence heard. Boats will then go north to Boston and cross the Wash to Wisbech before concluding in July on the Middle Level Navigations and Anglian waterways. It promises to be spectacular in its own right and will also trigger local events to raise awareness along the route. The first of these will be a welcome gathering at Gainsborough on 1 April and we would like to see as many supporters as possible on the banks of the River Trent.

See here for more details of the cruise to and beyond Westminster. 

What can you do?

To support FBW’s “one more push” we need a renewed push to spread the word on social media, to write to MPs and to get signatures on the petition. And in order to do that we need help from YOU, our supporters.

You can follow the progress of the boats on the campaign cruise by joining the Facebook group Fund Britain’s Waterways – Cruises for 2025. Please do like and share their posts, and also keep posting on Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #FundBritainsWaterways. Ask people to sign the petition.

Please do also write to your MP in support of the inland waterways, telling them about the benefits of canals and rivers, the threats they face, and the increased funding that is needed – and above all, how many people care about them. Tell them about the campaign cruise and ask them to be on the terrace of the Palace of Westminster from 10.45 on Wednesday 7 May to watch the boats at 11.00.

And please support events along the route, particularly the Gainsborough event on 1 April and the Westminster campaign cruise on 7 May where we need as many supporters on Westminster Bridge as possible.

THANK YOU for supporting this cause.