It’s almost two years since The Richardson Brothers Foundation donated £2,500 to support the educational work of the Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust (DCCT). The money was awarded to provide trips for 500 children from ten Black Country schools take part in educational workshop days.
And then Covid struck, putting the initiative on hold.
However now the DCCT is back in the business of giving great days out to its visitors and the donation is starting to make a difference to underprivileged children, who wouldn’t normally get the chance to enjoy the attraction.
Youngsters from local schools are now getting the chance to experience a canal trip through the local tunnels and workshop activities, as well as learning about the industrial history of the Black Country and the integral role the canals played in the development of the area.
One of the schools who recently enjoyed a day out, courtesy of the donation, wrote to the Foundation to express their thanks saying:
“We took our Year 3 children to DCCT yesterday, many of whom have never had an experience like this before. As school funding is extremely tight, we rarely have the opportunity to take the children on visits and we need to ask for parental contributions, which can be difficult. So, a trip like this is a wonderful gift.
“Our children had an amazing time and haven’t stopped talking about it since.
It was an experience they will remember for a very long time!”
A spokesperson from the Foundation, said:
“Anyone who has spent time on our canals knows how enjoyable it is and the Foundation is keen to help provide the opportunity for schoolchildren to take part – particularly those whose circumstances might have prevented them from doing so ordinarily.
“We’re delighted to be helping the Trust provide the kind of experiences that these children will remember for the rest of their lives.”