Fishing for litter at team volunteering day

Here at Scottish Water Horizons, we’re passionate about helping our local communities and doing our bit for the environment.

Recently we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to volunteer with Scottish Canals to fish for litter from the local waterway.

With over 137 miles of water network and 22 million visitors every year, it’s an unfortunate reality that rubbish finds its way into the canal system.

Some of our team, many of whom hadn’t seen each other since lockdown began, travelled to Kirkintilloch Marina to help Scottish Canal’s volunteer team get the area in ship-shape.

From clearing vegetation to fishing for rubbish in a purpose-built recycled plastic boat, we managed to collect everything from tin cans and bottles to footballs and discarded medication.

As it was such a glorious sunny day, it felt less like work and more like a river cruise!

Thankfully the tidying up made an appreciated dent in the work the canal team do every day. We were also cheered on and encouraged by a number of friendly locals, which really made it really worthwhile.

Safety first

Before setting sail, we made sure everyone was tested for Covid19 and took care to avoid safety hazards. We even managed to steer clear of man-overboard situations, although our Finance Director’s sunglasses weren’t so lucky!

With more of our teams geared up to donate their time to worthy causes, we highly recommend volunteering as a great way to socialise and build relationships whilst making a really positive impact on local communities.

Volunteer with Scottish Canals

Scottish Canals are always on the look-out for willing helpers. To find out more visit their website.