For anybody who loves the water, or loves history, working on a historical canal boat is a wonderful way to spend your spare time.  We are a happy friendly group of people who love what we do and sharing it with both the members and the wider community.  We give our volunteers the opportunity to drive the boat (even as a trainee), crew up and down the canal, operate the locks, spend time with passengers and socialise on the water.  Apart from seeing some wonderful sights on the way, the 4 mile per hour life style brings some peace and tranquillity into our hectic London lives.

We are an all-inclusive organisation and positively encourage volunteers from all walks of life regardless of age, race or gender etc. Nobody in our organisation gets paid, so we rely entirely on people to give their free time to keep us afloat.

We value ALL our volunteers regardless of their role and how much time they give us, however we do ask for a minimum commitment of four occasions during each calendar year to remain a volunteer with us.

Most people only see the crew afloat and, yes, we do need lots of them, but there are other roles that are just as important to keep the charity running smoothly from finance to cleaning - there is a list at the bottom of this page so you can see if there is anything that appeals to you.  Some of these roles maybe filled at this time but we are a dynamic organisation and posts may become available at different times.

To take charge of “Tarporley” as a skipper requires you to hold the National Community Boats Association “Certificate of Community Boat Management” of which the Camden Canals & Narrowboat Association is an accredited training organisation.   We run regular training days for potential skippers and crew supplemented by “hands-on” experience.  Once we are satisfied that you have reached a reasonable level of competence you will be entered on a formal course to obtain your certificate.

Because many of our bookings involve young people or vulnerable adults, all skippers and crew members are required to obtain a disclosure check from the Disclosure & Barring Service.  The level of this will depend on your role.  If you don’t have one we will happily do this for you at our cost, but you will be required to show appropriate original documents to the Heath and Safety officer for checking.

We hold monthly meetings and the occasional social and whilst there is no requirement to attend unless you have accepted an officer role you will always be welcome.