Stroud Valleys Canal Company encourages the canal to be a focus for all community groups based on or close by the canal. Already, several groups have become regular users of the canal and SVCC is pleased to welcome an increasingly diverse range of community engagement groups to take advantage of the environment that the canal offers for understanding and education. SVCC hopes that with time, a broader and socially diverse range of groups will wish to use the canal. If your group or association would like to know about the canal, please contact peterbest@spslimited.co.uk
This community project on the former Ship Inn site in Stonehouse is creating a site to bring the community together, improve well-being and reduce social isolation; and enhance preservation and connection with local heritage and nurturing an appreciation of the importance of the wildlife and biodiversity of the canal corridor
The aim of Stroud Valleys Project (SVP) is to protect and enhance the local environment by working with local communities to embrace sustainable development and biodiversity, and so to make Stroud and its surrounding area a better, healthier place in which to live for both present and future generations.
This is a Stonehouse based community group dedicated to giving people with disabilities an opportunity to sample activities on the water. Their strap line is “fun and freedom on water” and have successfully funded and operate 2 katakanus. These vessels are in effect two canoes joined together rather like a tandem. This makes a safe and stable platform for an instructor to give anyone an experience of being on the water. This has allowed many individuals to be taken out on the canal for the first time. People with visual as well as physical and mental disabilities all enjoy the peace and freedom that being on the canal provides.
Now the charity has expanded its operations by the purchase of a wheelyboat. This electric powered craft has a bow door that can be lowered to accept a wheelchair. SVCC has been engaged from the start of this challenge and has worked closely with all parties to design, construct and maintain a suitable landing stage that has a gentle slope allowing safe entry and exiting of wheelchair users onto Cotswold Boatmobility’s new boat, Zephyrus.
Founded in Stroud in 2015 the Access Bike project aims to give everyone the chance to fall in love with cycling. By refurbishing donated bikes for sale and allowing free access to the workshop we look to remove any financial barriers to owning a bike.
But beyond that we run mentoring sessions with disabled and vulnerable young adults; community events, develop micro businesses and much more