Canals across the West Midlands are set to play their part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
In photographs snapped in the last couple of weeks, representatives from a Birmingham film production company are seen filming for a promotional video at the Walsall Canal.
Walsall Canal Set For Increased Footfall
Speaking to Pioneer Magazines, Lee Bates, an Area Operations Team Leader for the West Midlands region Canal & River Trust, told us that:
“The Canal & River Trust, the charity that cares for over 500 miles of canals across the West Midlands, is currently getting the regions canals ‘Games Ready’ for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. With many of the game’s venues located next to or near a canal our canal towpaths provide safe, traffic-free walking and cycling routes in and around the region”.
The Trust is expecting visitors to the games to enjoy walking many of the canal routes and volunteers have been hard at work to ensure people can navigate them safely.
“The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will undoubtedly bring an increased footfall onto our wonderful canals, including the Walsall Canal, so we need to ensure they are fit for purpose and we’re busy working to improve our towpaths and key access onto the canal and as well as tackling the problems of litter and graffiti,” said Lee.
“We are also enhancing the wayfinding and signage required to help people clearly and safely navigate around our wonderful canals”.
Volunteers Needed At Canal & River Trust
The Trust is currently looking for volunteers to help make a difference to the Walsall Canal prior to the Commonwealth Games. They can be contacted via the official website: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Volunteers from the Canal & River Trust help tidy up
As for the promotional video showcasing Walsall Canal, Lee explained that it should be ready for July.
“If you’ve been out on the canal in Walsall recently you may have seen us filming along the canal,” he told us. “We’re currently working with Slinky Productions, a Birmingham based film production company, to create a promotional film about volunteering on our canals to really show the variety of volunteering roles we have at the Canal & River Trust”.
The film will be available to watch on the Canal & River Trust website and on the Twitter channel @CRTWestMidlands.