Governance and Advisory Volunteer (Advisory Group Members - Navigation)

Maintaining canal and river navigation is a key objective of the Canal & River Trust. The advisory group is made up of a number of skilled and expert practitioners with high levels of credibility who help to ensure that the Trust’s management fully understands the implications of proposed policy changes or particular issues that are relevant to boaters. The group usually meets every three months to advise the Trust’s management on navigation and boating issues of significance, especially those that may be innovative or potentially controversial. Members of the group must act in the best interests of the Trust. Members are not representative of any particular boating interest group.

Appointment to the Group is for the purpose of providing expert advice based on experience of using the waterways, coupled ideally with relevant professional/technical experience in other walks of life. Time commitment will be vary but is not more than 1 day per month on average over the course of a year.

Members of the Navigation Advisory Group will get an insight into the work the Canal & River Trust does to ensure our valued heritage network of canals and rivers is maintained and available for navigation.

Navigation Advisory Group meetings are usually held in different parts the waterway network and often involve site visits that provide an opportunity to see first-hand work the Trust is doing to maintain the waterway network.

The roles are voluntary with reasonable travel expenses covered.

The remit of the Navigation Advisory Group is to:

• Provide the Trust’s management with expert advice about matters relating to strategic navigation issues that have been brought to the group’s attention by management or others. • Provide the Trust’s management with practical advice on asset maintenance, dredging, vegetation management, boat licensing and moorings policies.

NAG members are expected to join at least one sub-group. At times the Trust may establish time limited task and finish sub-groups to work on specific issues which will also include members of the main group.

Members of the NAG will be appointed for their expertise and experience in navigation matters. Particular specialisms required are:

Advice relating to safety standards, waterway operation and use, maintenance & repairs, and customer service standards. At least one person bringing expertise in each of the following areas

• Canal navigations • River navigations • Boating trade perspectives