Volunteering with Anglian Waterways

​Cambridgeshire ACRE is working in partnership with the Environment Agency to manage this highly successful volunteer scheme. The scheme works to recruit friendly, helpful, informative individuals to represent the Environment Agency on our Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire stretches of our waterways. Cambridgeshire ACRE carry out the entire recruitment process including; organising training and networking events and generally support all volunteering activities alongside the Environment Agency’s Partnership and Development team.

What you could gain from being an Environment Agency Volunteer

​You would develop an in-depth insight into how our waterways are managed for public use, acquire a range of practical and personal skills and make a valuable contribution to providing safe passage to our valued users through our network of locks . We also hope you will get a huge amount of personal satisfaction from seeing the fantastic results of all your hard work. Our volunteers are highly valued by the boating community and we know our users experience wouldn’t be the same without them.

​No boating experience is needed, but you should be comfortable around water. We’ll provide full training, both in the classroom and on-site, to keep you safe. You just need to be 18+, in good health, and happy to complete a Basic DBS check (arranged by the EA).

In 2024 some of our volunteers undertook Throwline training which was coordinated by Northants Fire and Rescue Service and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). This included both classroom and practical elements with members of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue braving the colder water to allow our volunteers some experience in a safe and controlled environment.