Autism charity '˜adopts' the canal in Retford

A local autism charity has '˜adopted' a stretch of the Chesterfield Canal in Retford to help the Canal & River Trust make it an even more special place for local people.
Volunteers from Autism East Midlandss Tall Trees day service in Retford help tidy up their stretch of the Chesterfield CanalVolunteers from Autism East Midlandss Tall Trees day service in Retford help tidy up their stretch of the Chesterfield Canal
Volunteers from Autism East Midlandss Tall Trees day service in Retford help tidy up their stretch of the Chesterfield Canal

Autism East Midlands has answered the call by the trust, the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, by agreeing to adopt a one-mile stretch of the canal running from Carolgate Bridge in the town centre to the railway bridge near West Town Wood.

As part of the adoption, a team from Autism East Midlands’s Tall Trees day service in Retford, will help the trust to ensure that the canal is a tidy, welcoming place for local people and visitors.

The volunteers will be helping the trust with tasks such as clearing litter, tackling dog mess and reporting fly tipping.

The first team from Tall Trees, made up both of staff and people that use Autism East Midlands’ services, headed out on to the canal this month to improve the look of the canal by picking litter, locating and reporting dog mess so another team could clear it and checking the canal for damage so maintenance can be planned.

Matthew Orford Director of Adult Services at Autism East Midlands said: “There has been great team work from our service users who have increased their independence and knowledge of the environment and nature by working on the canal.”