People Know How and Polwarth Parish Church are delighted to announce the purchase of our All Aboard canal boat, which will nurture community cohesion and wellbeing in the community.
Community cohesion and wellbeing
Community cohesion and wellbeingBorn from a common drive to bring opportunities for wellbeing to the community, our partnership began at the All Aboard project launch in June 2019 where we first announced our aims to purchase and run a canal boat docked at the Polwarth Pontoon.
Following the launch, we ran a pilot programme of consultations, events and activities, including hosting People Know How’s projects for children and young people aboard canal boats. The pilot tested and demonstrated the importance of our aims to provide a space for wellbeing and community cohesion and the response we received from participants was overwhelmingly positive.
Purchasing our purpose-built canal boat
Since the pilot we have been collaborating with other canal-based organisations such as Re-Union and Sorted to continue engaging with the community and running projects along the canal. In doing so we have been building our learning, listening to the community and fundraising towards the purchase of our own boat.
We are now delighted to announce that we have purchased our very own purpose-built canal boat. Once in the water, our canal boat will serve as a safe space to gather, socialise and improve wellbeing. The boat will also host People Know How’s projects supporting children, young people, families and adults, while providing work or volunteering experience for those who support us to maintain the boat.
The boat will launch in the summer, with socially distanced plans for running the boat outside of lockdown already in place. We are now also recruiting for an All Aboard Coordinator to oversee the day to day management of the project and the canal boat. As we recover from this pandemic, our drive to support wellbeing and community cohesion is stronger than ever.
“Scottish Canals welcome the decision of the All Aboard project to purchase a boat for use of the local canal side community. Scotland’s canal network plays an important part in connecting communities across the country and the latest announcement from the All Aboard project will create a stronger bond between the local community and the Union Canal. I look forward to working with All Aboard in the coming months and welcoming the new boat to the canal network.”
Running the All Aboard boat
As New & Used Boat Co. begin construction of our All Aboard canal boat, we are now launching a campaign to raise funds to meet running costs once she is launched. These funds will ensure the boat’s future on the canal, improving wellbeing in the community. Follow us on social media to track the boat’s construction, delivery and launch in the water of the Union Canal. We’re so grateful to all our donors, and as such will be adding each individual donor’s name to a feature area in our new boat!
Text ALLABOARD to 70085 to donate £5* or click below to donate via PayPal.