Scouts pitch in to help Melton river project

Melton and Oakham Waterways Society (MOWS) has been putting in long hours over the winter months to get ready for the start of the boating season in the spring.

And members were delighted to be joined at the weekend by Scouts who have been staying at the Melton Mowbray District Scouts camp site at Holwell Pastures.

They are all part of Scout Network, aged from 17 to 25, and are preparing to jet off to Madagascar in July to support local Scouts in community projects.

Geof Malone, one of the MOWS organisers, said the Scouts ‘turned up in force’.

He commented: “With so many hands available, it was an ideal opportunity to get the rowing boats ready for the new season with painting below the waterline to try and repel the growth which attaches to the hulls.

“And a great job they did. That will save quite a few weekends’ work. There was also some more touching up on our trip boat, Wreake Voyager.

“A group went down river on our workboat Badger, removed more rubbish from around the footbridge, recovered yet another bit of metal fencing that had been thrown in the river and then cleared even more rubbish which had gathered just above the weir at Rhubarb Island – a spot that was cleared only two weeks ago.

“At Eye Kettleby Lock, vegetation was cut back, and a start was made burning some of the wood that has been retrieved from the river over the past few months.

"A huge amount was achieved and a big thank you to the Scouts. It was great having them with us.”

MOWS, which last week received a £20,000 grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is a charity formed in 1997 with the aim of restoring the Navigation so that boats can once again sail into the heart of Melton Mowbray.

Geof added: “If only we could have so many volunteers every week. We’d have the Navigation open to Syston by the end of the year.”