Canal clean-up at lock 64

WATER clean-up . . . volunteers during the Towpath Tidy event at lock 64 on the Rochdale Canal

VOLUNTEERS laboured in the heat to clean-up part of the Rochdale Canal.

The team from Chadderton business Diodes Zetex Semiconductors, Firwood and District Residents’ Association and The Rochdale Canal Society donated their time for the Towpath Tidy event on Saturday.

Work included litter picking, cutting back overgrown vegetation and tidying the area near lock 64, by Grimshaw Lane, Newton Heath.

The clean-up was led by British Waterways and is part of an ongoing commitment by them, the local authority and other stakeholders to improve the canal.

British Waterways has recently announced proposals to move England and Wales’ 200-year-old canal network into a mutual organisation, such as a charitable trust, and the organisation is exploring new ways to work with volunteers, community groups and local businesses.

The canal adoption scheme is just one way in which groups can become more involved in caring for, and promoting, their local canal or river.

British Waterways volunteer co-ordinator Kate Statham said: “The Rochdale Canal is a fantastic resource for the local community and businesses to enjoy. This project is a great example of a local business giving something back.”

Colin Greene, European president of Diodes Incorporated, said: “Diodes Zetex Semiconductors has a track record for continuously making business improvements that have a positive impact on our reputation regarding the environment.

“The company has firm roots in Chadderton, having been established here for many years, so it’s only right that we join other groups to pursue the care for our surroundings.

“Waterways and canals was chosen as our environmental theme for this year, so we are more than happy to be able to help in this endeavour.”