Inland Waterways Association Restoration Grants

Overview

One of the principal aims of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is to advocate the restoration of derelict inland waterways In the British Isles.

To achieve this it has agreed Restoration Objectives, which are to:

• secure support for restoration from local communities, local authorities, Environment Agency, navigation authorities and funding agencies
• secure human and financial resources for restoration,
• obtain legislation and guidance documents, from Government and its agencies, that are favourable to restoration, a
• achieve high quality sustainable restorations suitable for navigation and other public uses, with adequate provision for future maintenance to appropriate standards.

Applications from bodies promoting new waterway routes will also be considered. In exceptional cases the Association may make larger grants. Applications for grants of up to £2,000 are assessed under a simplified procedure. All applications are processed by IWA Council's Restoration Committee.

The Committee does not wish to be too prescriptive in setting its criteria: it prefers to leave the door open to new ideas. Its position is that IWA supports all sustainable waterway restoration schemes and does not have any preconceived preferences or priorities.

Applications up to £2,000 - Each application should demonstrate that the grant would be used to initiate or sustain a restoration scheme or significantly benefit a specific small project.

Applications over £2,000 - Each application should demonstrate that the grant would be applied to one of a list of themes:

• Construction: works of all sizes including construction or restoration of: locks, bridges, aqueducts, culverts, weirs, pumps, landing stages, visitor moorings or other infrastructure; and excavation, dredging, lining or bank protection of sections of channel to extend or make better use of sections of waterways under restoration. The Committee favours works directly relating to restoration of navigation although other works such as towing paths, hedges, fences and waterway related buildings may also be considered.
• Administration: support for a specific purpose, such as part-funding of a project officer, supporting a funding appeal or supporting promotional literature or events. Support for general administrative costs is not given but a small percentage addition to projects, for specific administrative items, may be acceptable.
• Professional services: such as funding or part-funding of a feasibility study or detailed work on engineering, economic or environmental issues.
• Land purchase
• Research on matters affecting waterway restoration: including original research, reviews of research undertaken by others and literature reviews
• Education; for example, providing information to local authorities or agencies to promote the nature and benefits of waterway restoration.

How to Apply

Applications for grants should be addressed to the Chairman of IWA Restoration Committee. Guidelines are available from the Association's website.

GT Team - respomnse to enquiry of grant availability in Northern Ireland.

I regret that, because IWA is only a registered charity in England and Wales and the Grants Scheme forms part of that charity regestration, I must offer IWA's apologises in that the Grants Scheme is not open to schemes in Northern Ireland or Scotland.