In January boat owners will be asked to vote for candidates they want to represent them on the Canal and River Trust National Council. The council is made up of representatives from all sides of the waterways, business, fishing, volunteers, friends and private boaters, amongst others. This year there are four vacancies on the council representing Private Boaters.

The Council has an important role in helping to shape policy, raising and debating issues, providing guidance and perspective and acting as a sounding board for Trustees who are responsible for determining policy and strategy.

Four years ago, at the last election we glanced through the list of nominees, maybe one name familiar on the list, but we’d certainly not met them. Four years later I’ve just read through all 34 candidates, a few stand out as we now know them, others we have shared locks with, two are bloggers who we follow, others we have yet to meet.

Each candidate has a short 200 word manifesto which can be found on-line on the page about the elections link.

If you want to know more about the Council I can recommend watching Andy Tidy’s video on the subject. Andy has sat on the council for the last four years representing Business Boaters as he is a roving trader. However his seat representing Roving Traders no longer exists as their needs are seen to have more in common with Private Boaters than Businesses. In the forth coming elections he is standing as a candidate for Private Boaters.

Andy also writes a blog and over the last four years has published his CRT Jottings after Council meetings. These I have always found to be an interesting read. Link to the latest jottings. Good to hear what is discussed at these meetings. Thank you Andy.

Good Luck to all the candidates.