Twenty Twenty Vision?

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Twenty Twenty Vision?

Saturday, 06 June 2009 21:28

Today was a “meeting day” for us both. John went to to a NABO Council meeting in Birmingham and I went to a BW Consultation meeting – one of the meetings about the 2020 “Vision”.

TWENTY TWENTY

This is the idea that BW look to become a Third Sector organisation (Charitable Sector) with core funding from the government and a variety of Stakeholders: all the jargon and phraseology I have been hearing in my working life for the past 8 years!

Andy the BW Ranger was going and kindly gave me a lift back to Bilsborrow, the venue was at Guys Hamlet.

The meeting was chaired by BW Operations Director Vince Moran, with Caroline Killeavy (BW Customer and PR Manager), Mike Marshall (NW Customer Operations Manager) and various staff from the Wigan Office.

The meeting was heavily dominated by local issues, which seem to be common throughout the system i.e. dredging, moorings (auctions and visitor), lack of communication by BW and lack of bank staff.

The 2020 Vision had rather less discussion – mainly because it appears that there is nothing substantial in the way of strategic planning yet and it was presented as “a toe in the water” job so far by BW. It was noted that the proposals had had little publicity as far as the average boater was concerned. There is PDF of the glossy brochure here.

The moves proposed so far seem good

Removal of a layer of middle management
£10 million savings from restructuring directed towards maintenance annually
11 smaller waterways units
Establish a new regeneration directorate
Create specialist teams
Move to Third Sector organisation/trust over 10 years

Points 1-3 are already happening. These may help to deal with some of the more immediate problems, but to quote Vince Moran, the Trust idea “may never happen” . . . “BW may not be able to deliver it”.

However a long term strategy is vital to enable the waterways to be maintained in their present state, let alone improved. £30 million more/year is necessary to do just this.

To my mind many Third Sector organisations are struggling with funding from government and stakeholders. The priorities and “goal posts” for funding change with the political colour at national and local level.

It takes a very strong, well supported and well known organisation to survive in today's target driven, overly accountable, tick box management imposed on any organisation funded in this way.

Anyway – if you manage to get to one of these meetings across the country, I hope that the real purpose is achieved and that BW get an understanding of where this group of Stakeholders, i.e. boaters stand on the issue.

Personally I think the most important thing is that they understand the issues that distress boaters and continue to work towards the most effective, economic way of “Saving Our Waterways” for the use of all sections of the community, involving as many funding streams as possible and keeping this superb national asset open for all.

P.S. A dredger was promised for the Lancaster canal - to be up and working by the end of July. I heard Vince Moran make the commitment as did the other 12 boaters present!