Kicking off my Volunteering Week I looked at all the great opportunities across Weaver Vale and I was struck by the sheer range of activities that everyone can get involved in.
I decided to start off by visiting Russett School and Multi Sensory Impairment Unit (MSI) – a fantastic special school which works with children from 2 to 19 with specialist learning needs. It has the only the only MSI Unit in Cheshire.
Meeting with the teachers, carers and, of course, the children during lessons was a real learning experience. Looking at the different ways of learning, making the most of interactive activities and listening to what makes the School so unique was a great start to my day. As you can see from my photograph I had the chance to get really involved and very messy.
If you would like to learn more about the School and how you could get involved then visit: www.russettschool.co.uk
Next I wanted to get to grips with Weaver Vale’s history so I visited Anderton Boat Lift to learn about the River and Canal Trust’s work.
The Boat Lift is a Victorian feat of engineering which carried boats between the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal using hydraulics. Since its restoration in 2003 it has become a key tourist destination and relies on volunteers to keep going. I scaled the 50 ft construction to find out more of the history and learn about the work the Anderton Lift volunteer tour guides do.
If you would like to find out how to get involved in the work of the Anderton Boat Lift or any of the other great roles of the Canal and River Trust, visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/anderton-boat-lift