Disappointing and encouraging!

Hats off to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council who have agreed to sponsor a one off payment of eighty pounds towards a banner for the Save Our Waterways campaign. I think that shows the high level of interest and support from the council towards the waterways in recognising them as a genuine leisure amenity. The email recieved from them reads as follows:

Dear Andy
Thank you for the funding request.
I consider canals to be of a significant importance to our Borough. They provide excellent tourism opportunities, economic advantages and well being and are places where local residents can go to relax etc. The Council will be launching its new Cultural Strategy in January 2007, where we mention supporting canals.

My budgets are limited and I would not normally support such requests, however on this 'one off' occasion I would be willing to contribute £80 towards your campaign.
I will require an address and name of whom the cheque needs to be made payable to.

I wish you good luck in your quest and hope the local boating community can assist in ascertaining external funding to improve the waterways.

By contrast, Trinity Marina have clearly demonstrated, once again, their lack of interest towards the boating community. Take a look at the general standards of many boats in the marina and in particular, on a sunny day when most boaters are out, and you will see how the marina is clearly primarily a 'housing estate'. The final nail in the coffin was my request for any sort of financial support and help towards the campaign, only to recieve the following email:

Andrew hi
We are in receipt of your e-mail. We do not feel it is appropriate for Trinity Marinas to sponsor your banner
Yours Trinity Marinas

Very professional! No explanation or reasons given. I can only guess that those who were antagonistic towards the campaign and have little interest in the affairs or heritage of the canal system have unduely influenced them. I have requested an explanation and will, of course post a reply shoud I get one! I wait with baited breath but in the mean time, I have to fund myself or find fifty pounds to cover the cost of the banner - Ah well, I guess if BW end up having to close the Ashby Canal due to lack of funding, Trinity and their residents won't mind so long as there is a small isolated puddle left to float a few boats!!