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Basingstoke Canal Society All-new “green” canal boat to replace diesel-powered Kitty Fundraising is a constant of Society life and our team has embarked on another large project to replace our aging canal boat, Kitty, which runs trips along the waterway from Woking. Kitty is very much a community resource. Thousands of visitors enjoy the beauty of our fine canal environment through our volunteer-run public trips each year. In addition, she also provides trips for local schoolchildren, care homes, hospitals, heritage open days and people with disabilities. Kitty has also had a long association with the children of Chernobyl, taking those on recuperative breaks in the UK on trips each year. But, at 45 years old, Kitty is near the end of her life and we are working hard to raise money for her replacement - in the form of an environmentally-sound, all-electric canal boat. Kitty was named after the last horse to tow boats along the canal, so it is fitting that Kitty II will be as environmentally friendly as her namesake! As well as making Kitty II non-polluting, we also plan to install several charging points on the canal in Woking which will represent our first step towards making the canal fully electric for all users. Newly designed, Kitty II will allow easier wheelchair access and provide enough space for an on-board toilet. She will be produced by a UK based boatbuilder. Together with installing the charging network, we have a fundraising target of £200,000. The society is contributing £70,000 of its own to kickstart the effort and aim to raise the remaining £130,000 from sources including grants, individual and corporate donations and an art auction scheduled for late February at The Lightbox gallery and museum in Woking. We are also working to launch a crowdfunding site to support the project and hope to have news of its launch soon.
