Navvies’ Barge – a social enterprise canal boat moored at Applecross Basin – is the latest organisation to join the Glasgow Canal Co-op.

Linking up with the collective of organisations based in and around Glasgow’s Forth & Clyde Canal, Navvies’ Barge is now one of 23 members aiming to unlock the canal’s potential to create a vibrant area in the north of the city for people to live, work and visit.

Accessible waterway

The barge runs boat trips along Glasgow’s stretch of the canal and hosts a café and a variety of workshops, making the waterway more accessible to people in the local community.

Having lived on the canal for many years, owner Sean McNamara, along with co-owners Ania Neisser and Thomas Kelly, wanted to share the untold benefits of a relaxing day out on the cut with others.

Customers can enjoy a day out on the barge, make themselves at home on-board with a buffet and relax their way along the canal.

The barge is also shared with community groups in order to open up the canal and the benefits of time on the water with as many people as possible.

Catalyst for regeneration

Sean said: “We believe the canal should be a catalyst for regeneration that enriches an area and serves the people in it, and we’re happy to get on board with something that can be a force for good.

“We’re looking forward to co-operating with local people and businesses to celebrate the canal’s potential to connect people with place and each other, and importantly, highlight the role that boats play in the beauty, heritage and future of the cut.”

Christine Kuhn, Glasgow Canal Co-op chair, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Navvies’ Barge to our thriving community of organisations who represent the community spirit and breadth of creativity, talent and vibrant activity along Glasgow’s canal.

“All of our Co-op members are connected by fascinating heritage and the canal’s unique environment. As an organisation which is working to bring the heritage of our special waterway to life in new ways, Navvies’ Barge is a welcome addition to the group.”

Established as a workers’ co-operative, Navvies’ Barge pays tribute to the workers who made the canal – the navvies. The social enterprise aims to empower people in their work and remind them of the power of worker solidarity.

Find out more about Navvies’ Barge.