What a wonderful four weeks of barging again this year.
Memories of smiles, laughter, and achievement.
High energy youngsters, many with learning difficulties with the determination & humour of our disabled guests through to quiet cups of tea for our more elderly guests.
We got very hot, and we got very wet, but nothing deterred our guests.
Diana, the boat we hire from the Bruce branch of the Kennet and Avon Canal which is fully fitted to accommodate wheelchairs, performed well.
I am so grateful to our club members and family and friends who freely gave their time to crew the barge and in so doing gave lovely memories to our disabled, disadvantaged and elderly guests.
Over four weeks we needed 112 crew!
We hosted 285 guests
I have particularly fond memories of our last day when we had a group that included two guests in wheelchairs and others with challenging conditions. They each needed their own carer on a 1:1 basis.
They fully participated, got very excited and laughed a lot.
They told us they had achieved things they had not Expected to be able to do through helping with the locks and steering the barge.
At the end of the day I was tired but just felt a warm glow that we had really helped others and enjoyed doing it.