Kidsgrove Town Deal Board member profiles

James Dennison - Enterprise Manager-West Midlands

Board role

Member

Sub-group

Canal Enhancement - Chair

Profile

Canal & River Trust is the charity that looks after over 2,000 miles of canals in England and Wales. 

For nature

• We have 68 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and approximately 3,000 County Wildlife Sites in our care, providing habitats for wildlife under threat
• Nearly 750 miles of our canals have been awarded Green Flag status - and we’re aiming for much more

For heritage

• We look after 2,000 miles of historic canals and rivers including 2,970 bridges, 1,581 locks and 281 aqueducts
• We’re the third largest owner of listed buildings and other structures in the UK, with 2,705 in our care
• Our waterways encompass seven historic parks and gardens, six battlefields, 46 scheduled ancient monuments and four World Heritage Sites

For people

• We provide access to nature and the outdoors for millions of people – for the 9 million people who have waterways within a 10-minute walk and for the many millions more who visit – ensuring everyone can use and enjoy the canals to relax, travel, exercise or fish
• We help thousands of children develop their confidence and learn new skills, delivering learning to 230,000 children every year

Why it matters

Without ongoing maintenance and rejuvenation our ageing canal network simply wouldn’t be here - and we’d all be the poorer. We’d lose a link to our past, valuable wildlife habitat and a working network used for travel, business and enjoyment. And we know from our research that spending time on or by water really can make life better. Whether it be your lunchbreak, daily commute or a weekend trip, time along our waterways does make us feel happier and healthier.

As Enterprise manager James’ role is to work with external stakeholders and funders to develop and deliver projects that enhance the canal network.