Volunteer Lock-Keeper (Gailey Lock)

Canal & River Trust; South Staffordshire; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused organization in South Staffordshire is seeking Volunteer Lock Keepers at Gailey Lock. This role involves assisting boats through locks, engaging with visitors, and maintaining the area. Ideal for those who enjoy outdoor activities, the position requires great communication and practical skills. Volunteers should be over 18 and available for at least one day a week. Join us for a fulfilling experience that helps maintain our waterways and meets other local volunteers.

Benefits

Meet local volunteers

Gain new skills

Participate in various volunteering opportunities

Qualifications

• Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.
• Must be over the age of 18.
• Availability for at least one day a week.

Responsibilities

• Help boats through the locks.
• Engage with customers and visitors.
• Perform litter picking and minor vegetation work.

Skills

Great communication skills

Practical skills for minor maintenance

Teamworking skills

Job description

Join our recently expanded, friendly team of Volunteer Lock Keepers at Gailey Lock.

Gailey Lock is a very busy point on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. It has a boatyard, a busy holiday boating company and is a well-used water and waste spot. It is also, despite the busy A5 running straight over it, a very picturesque spot, complete with a surviving Roundel house.

The Lock Keeper’s duties at this site is to manage and assist boats going through a small but busy lock flight. Management is in the form of a friendly word to keep the water points available, or getting boats to wait their turn when traffic is coming in both directions.
With more members of the team we will also be able to offer help through the next two locks on the way towards Penkridge, so a moderate degree of fitness is required. This is often requested by boaters with mobility issues or single handers.

The lock keepers also keep the lock and surrounding area neat and tidy, mowing, strimming and litter picking. You also need to be the friendly, public face of the Canal & River Trust to the many visitors to the site.

Initially you would join our friendly existing team either on a Monday or Saturday. After Easter we will start the Thursday rota back up.

The role is amazing for both physical and mental wellbeing, as the exercise is modest, and the environment, and the camaraderie are both excellent.

This team run throughout the year, although the boats are few and far between in the winter, so maintenance becomes the main job.

If this sound like the ideal role for you, and you can spare five or six hours one day a week (or more) then please get in touch.

Why we want you

Lock keepers have been a fixture on Britain’s canals for hundreds of years and are one of the oldest traditions of the waterways. As ‘the face of the waterway’, modern-day volunteer lock keepers play an integral part in the visitor experience. Their role is to provide a polite and friendly welcome to waterway visitors, assisting boaters through the locks and helping to maintain the area.
It’s a perfect opportunity for those who enjoy working in the outdoors and are perhaps looking for something different to do and want to help support the Canal & River Trust. The key qualities we’re looking for are enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.
Anyone can join as long as you are over the age of 18 and have a least a day a week available. Following appropriate selection, training and induction sessions we expect the role to commence fully around April and run through to October (local variations may apply).

What you will be doing

• Helping boats through the locks
• Talking to customers
• Litter picking and/or minor vegetation works
• When you register as a volunteer, we will ask you about any unspent convictions which you need to declare and risk assess these as needs be.

The skills you need

• Great communication skills. This is all about talking to people.
• Practical skills – it’s also about minor maintenance to ensure that your locks are functional.
• Teamworking skills – whilst you may spend some of your time alone, fundamentally you’re part of a team.

What's in it for you

• It's a great way to meet other local volunteers, learn new skills, and hear about other volunteering opportunities if you fancy getting more involved.