Season's Greetings from SCARS

"Partnership" is the big word these days. Public - Private - Voluntary Partnerships: we all have to work together to achieve our particular Targets. The Voluntary sector want to do the best for their particular sphere of interest, the Public sector want to meet the needs of those who elect them, and the Private sector wants to see a return on its investment.

There is a problem, however. The different sectors work to different time - scales. The Public sector, represented by our Local Authorities, are looking to the next Election; the Private sector, looking towards the next Annual Meeting and the profit line in the Annual Accounts, is even more short - sighted. Only the Voluntary sector takes the long view - we have an aim, and we'll stick at our task until we achieve it, no matter how many Annual Meetings or Elections go by.

No wonder the Government puts so much store by the involvement of the Voluntary sector in projects. Without the staying power of the voluntary sector's Inland Waterways Association, neither the statutory British Waterways nor the private developers would be reaping the benefits we are presently seeing from waterways restoration.

We wish you all well in this festive season - and look forward to another year of successful partnership working.

David Long, Chairman, SCARS

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