At this year’s AGM at the St John’s Campus Conference Centre in Worcester, we celebrated the winners of the Sustainable Boating Awards, presented in partnership with Towpath Talk. These awards recognise individuals, organisations, and businesses making a real difference in sustainable boating. We also presented the IWA National Awards 2026, honouring members and waterway campaigners whose dedication has helped protect, improve, and bring new life to our inland waterways.

The results of the awards are as follows:

Sustainable Boating Awards:

NON-COMMERCIAL AWARD 2026

Awarded to the individual, charity or community organisation that, in the opinion of the judges, has made the most valuable contribution to sustainable boating during the last twelve months.

Fulham Reach Boat Club

For undertaking a range of environmental and sustainability initiatives including introducing electrically propelled coaching and safety boats, running a water quality testing programme and organising river clean-ups.

COMMERCIAL AWARD 2026

Awarded to the business that, in the opinion of the judges, has made the most valuable contribution to sustainable boating during the last twelve months.

Landamores Ltd

For being the leading constructors, converters and maintainers of electric boats on the Broads for some years and introducing sustainable propulsion and other innovations into a very traditional boat building market. v

[Details of the Awards are at https://waterways.org.uk/campaigns/sustainable-boating#award]

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Circular Revolution Co-Op: For pioneering the collection and disposal of solid waste from separator toilets on boats.

IWA NATIONAL AWARDS

RICHARD BIRD MEDALS

For members of the Association whose efforts and support are considered to have brought significant benefit to the Association over a sustained period.

• Tony Clarke

Tony has been a dedicated Northampton Branch Committee member for many years and, for more than 15 years, has been the Editor of its quarterly magazine, Endeavour, keeping members informed, connected and engaged, while making a valuable contribution to the Branch.

• George Rogers

George has spent much of his life around canals and restoration. A civil and structural design engineer by training, he is Development Manager for the Chesterfield Canal Trust.

His contribution as a volunteer is equally impressive. George has led, cooked or volunteered on more than 60 WRG week-long camps and festivals and is currently a WRG Director. He has also been a Trustee of the Friends of the Cromford Canal, where he established and chaired its Strategic Restoration Committee, as well as serving as work party organiser and webmaster.

Within IWA, George became the inaugural Chair of the Restoration Delivery Group. He brings together professional expertise, practical experience and strategic thinking to help shape the Association’s restoration work.

From getting his hands dirty on WRG camps to helping deliver multi-million-pound restoration projects, George has made an outstanding contribution to the waterways over many years.

• Debbie and Andrew Shepherd

Andrew and Debbie are being recognised for around 20 years of commitment to IWA activities in Leicestershire, including around 10 years as the Branch’s key officers.

Their determination and enthusiasm have been instrumental in keeping the Branch active and maintaining IWA’s presence in the area. They have organised and supported countless activities, with a particular highlight being the hugely successful Harborough ’75 event, which simply would not have happened without them.

They have also worked tirelessly to secure the completion of the Memory Lane Wharf visitor moorings and boater facilities, working with Canal & River Trust and Leicester City Council.

CHRISTOPHER POWER PRIZE

For a person, society or trust who has made the most significant contribution to the restoration of an inland waterway.

There is a cash prize associated with this award, which is given to the waterway restoration group associated with the winner, where the winner is a named individual.  The aims and objectives of the group must be consistent with IWA’s aims and objectives.  The trophy is a carved wooden otter.

David Carter – Shropshire Union Canal Society

David Carter, Chairman of the Shropshire Union Canal Society, has made a major contribution to the restoration of the Montgomeryshire Canal over many years.

For at least nine years, David organised the restoration work parties on the ‘Mont’, helping to bring a long section of the canal back into use as far as Crickheath Basin.

Working with volunteer labour and funding from a Heritage Lottery grant, David led a team through an ambitious programme of practical restoration. He organised regular work parties and everything needed to make them happen, from materials and plant to volunteers and safety arrangements, including navigating the additional challenges of working during the Covid pandemic.

The result was a remarkable volunteer-led restoration effort that saw sections of canal reappear where they had effectively disappeared into farmland.

David continues to lead the Society’s enhancement team, helping to maintain and improve the canal around Ellesmere. As Chairman, he also supports volunteers, works with CRT, councils and landowners, and takes on the many less visible jobs that keep the Society moving.

BRANCH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

For the IWA Branch which, in the opinion of a panel consisting of the National Chair, Deputy National Chairs and Chief Executive, has made the greatest progress and achievement in promoting the Association’s aims and objectives during the past year. All Branches are considered, without need for nomination. The award consists of a silver salver, donated to IWA by former National Chair David Stevenson for the purpose in 1998.

South Wales Branch

The Branch Achievement Award this year goes to the South Wales Branch, and in particular we wish to recognise the leadership, dedication and energy of Paul Thomas for his efforts in raising the profile of the Mon & Brec. Previous to Paul, Tony Pugh and Joe Taplin contributed substantially to the work and profile of the branch.

Recently, the branch has been at the forefront of the campaign as a key member of the Preserve & Protect the Mon & Brec Canal (PPMB) coalition.

It was pivotal in supporting a highly successful Petition that gained over 14,000 signatures and in organising the Senedd Rally in July 2025, which preceded the debate that saw overwhelming cross-party support for action.

Campaigners rallied outside the Senedd on the day the petition debate was held, gaining attention from the press and Senedd members. 

Following the rally and debate, the Welsh Government announced the creation of the Task & Finish Group on 17th July 2025.

As mentioned in the Campaigns update, the Welsh Government then agreed a financial settlement of up to £400,000 every year, for the next five years to resolve the water abstraction crisis that threatened the future of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

The leadership and hard work of Paul,...

The Inland Waterways Association

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