Society Activities and Events
Section 3: Communications Notes
by Dave Smallshaw, Communications Officer
After the re-organisation of the structure of SCARS functions, the roles of the other four groups are self explanatory, whereas the communications arm covers many aspects of our activities, both planned and current.
The obvious responsibility for press and public relations, the publication of our in-house journal, Canal Cuttings, and our occasional leaflet production will continue as before with David Long continuing as editor of Cuttings and various contributors creating new reading and visual material as and when time permits.
Further responsibilities lie in the tasks of communicating the existence of the Society and that of the Sankey Navigation on a wider scale and here the involvement of modern media presentation, website maintenance and the production of educational material is required. Other activities will include liaison with other like minded groups of people, educational institutions and schools and other voluntary groups.
Our annual attendance at various shows, rallies and other outdoor events ensures that we have a good profile throughout the three boroughs of the canal and beyond. Regional waterway events also have their place in advertising the navigation to the wider boating fraternity and we have a wider stage when we regularly attend the IWA National Festival each year where the work on the Sankey is brought to the attention of the great and the good. For much of this work we have to thank, in the main, Colin and Cynthia Greenall who are a fixture at these events and without whom many would not even know that the Sankey exists.
Another way in which we bring our message to the public in general is the continuance of our public meetings which are regularly publicised in our journal and are generally held every winter month on the last Thursday of the month at St Patrick's Club, Newton Common. These are held in conjunction with the Inland Waterways Association and are open to all. During the last year we have a variety of topics from the History of the waterway, industrial heritage on film and a tour of the Panama Canal too. Please try to get along to some of these. You will find the premises very comfortable, the company good, the topics certainly interesting and designed for the waterway and historical interested… and the place is fully licensed too!
A final key factor in our education programme is our capacity to visit other groups with presentations of the canal's history, restoration and future plans and its potential. These are taken by our officers, chief among whom is our secretary and historian, Peter Keen, to many and varied groups throughout North West .
As you can see, we are always happy to explore more ways in which we can spread the word about ourselves and our unique waterway and we hope that this will continue long into the future.
Like any organisation we always are looking for new ideas and new blood to revitalise our campaigns and keep our long serving and long suffering crew going. If you can help in some small way then please do so. The way he have split the running of the Society up means that you don't have to get involved in the overall scheme of things but can just dip your toe, so to speak, in the waterway and devote your time or research to ,say, history or restoration. If you think you have PR role in you or fancy contact with the wider community then I would be most pleased to hear from you. There will always be a place for anyone and your commitment need be just to suit you!
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