Go Forth and Clyde
A warm welcome awaits you at Go Forth and Clyde. We are a group of volunteers united by our love of the canal for the benefit of our local community and the environment. Go Forth and Clyde is located at Lock 16, next to the Union Inn and in close proximity to the Falkirk Wheel. We are recognisable by our distinctive navy, purple and sky blue branding.
The canal-side provides a wealth of opportunities for visitors, families and the local community. Whether you are interested in boating, walking, cycling, foraging, volunteering, culture, or arts and heritage, there is a way to get involved in fun and meaningful activities on offer by the canal. Our new Development Manager and the team are currently working on several new ways to get involved and we’ll be posting these on our activities and volunteering pages in early 2022.
We are the proud caretakers of the ‘Jaggy Thistle’, a cosy 32 foot self-drive canal boat that carries up to 8 passengers, suitable for all ages and comes completely equipped with facilities to cook food and prepare drinks, and an on board toilet. Her hire season runs from March to October.
What We Do
We aim to get people engaged with the life of the canal, from locals to visitors. We engage volunteers through who have the opportunity to learn new skills, increase teamwork skills, do meaningful, environmentally friendly work outdoors, as well as through our developing Repair Shop community workshop (news updates on that soon!). Lock-keepers meet boaters from across the world, and everyone can meet new people from their own community and learn about the history and heritage of the canal.
We run events to celebrate the canal as a resource and provide entertainment and activities locally, and we are always looking out for new ideas and connections.
We provide lock-keeping services along the canal and you will see our volunteers operating the locks and cycling along the tow paths. Wave or say hello, they will be happy to see you and talk to you about their work. If you are interested in volunteering, we would be delighted to hear from you.
We are a small charity, and as Covid-19 restrictions ease across Scotland, we are looking to grow and put forward a range of new activities highlighting what the canals and Lock 16 has to offer through workshops, tours, foraging and more! Keep up to date on our social media channels (links below) We take pride in being able to work with communities, we aim to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. We are actively looking to expand our network. We would love to work with like-minded charities, businesses, educators and public sector organisations to promote community cohesion, education, and well-being.
Go Forth and Clyde work closely with Scottish Canals on preserving the canal environment and providing lock keeping services. Get in touch with us on info@goforthandclyde.org.uk.