LNBP were pleased to welcome another group party from our friends and longstanding client at Kedington Scouts who enjoyed a short break stay exploring the local canals on Lancelot and Guinevere.

Here are a few pics from their time with us this year.

Thank you to the leaders and members of Kedington Scouts for joining us. We hope you all had a wonderful time (it certainly looks that way), and we hope to see you again soon.

• Interested to find out more and book your Scout or Guide community group for a residential weekend or short break with us on our boats?  If so, why not drop us a line or give us a call to see how we can help, here

The post In pictures – Kedington Scouts Whitsun 2026 residential trip appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Held at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire over the Saturday 23^rd to Sunday 25^th May (with a Trade and Preview Day on the Friday 22^nd beforehand), ‘Crick’ is Britain’s biggest inland waterways festival and LNBP were once running the Show’s boat trips for festival visitors across the three public days, which also involved collecting and returning the boats used to various local marinas before and after the event.

As well as running and managing the boat trip operation, the Show provided us with another opportunity to promote what we do and offer to community groups and organisations by way of residential weekends and short breaks, and for us to also hold our AGM on the Saturday evening.

More details on LNBP at Crick 2026 to follow; in the meantime here’s a selection of pictures from what was another highly enjoyable and successful (and hot) weekend.

The post In pictures – LNBP at the 2026 Crick Boat Show appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

It was a pleasure to meet Evie and Isabel from West Northamptonshire Council to welcome them to Braunston and aboard our boats for a chat and trip along the Grand Union Canal.

Having been in contact with Evie late last year, our diaries were finally aligned for us to get together to provide them with an introduction to what LNBP do, a tour of our boats and to take a short trip out on them for our guests to get a proper feel of what our region’s canals are all about and what we can offer to community groups and organisations.

Either side of dodging showers, ducks and ducklings, a scenic narrowboat cruise along the calm inland waters out of Braunston was a perfect way to spend a relaxing and thought-provoking midweek morning with the variable conditions providing a great canvass for some great photos to showcase the beauty of our canals.

See the photo gallery below (all photos by Evie Scarborough)

Many thanks again to Evie and Isabel for taking time to visit us and come out on our boats. We look forward to taking our conversations and ideas forward, and ultimately introducing more people and more user groups from the Northamptonshire area to the benefits of experiencing time and life on one of the our region’s prized assets.

The post Welcome aboard Discover Northamptonshire appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Held over the late May/Whitsun bank holiday weekend this year of Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th May 2026, The Crick Boat Show is the UK’s leading inland waterways festival, bringing together narrowboats, marine exhibitors, live entertainment, boating seminars and family attractions.

And here’s are just a few good reasons why you should stop by and see the team from LNBP over ‘the three-days of Crick’.

1. Book your ticket and join us on the Crick Boat Show trip boats

We will once again be operating the hugely-popular Trips Boats for visitors to the Show who can enjoy a short boat trip with us from the Marina and along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats which are once again run by our volunteer team of skippers.

The half-hour trips are run and provided free, but we welcome donations in lieu, and will run every 10 minutes from 10.10am each day of the show.

As these trips always prove very popular year-on-year, our advice is to book with us once you arrive at the Show to avoid disappointment.

You will find us at Stand Q50 by the quayside where you can up pick your tickets from our team who can tell you more about we can do and offer.

2. Donate to support us and benefit others

As mentioned above, the boat trips we run on behalf of the Crick Boat Show are provided to the Show’s visitors FREE of charge.

However LNBP do accept donations in lieu.

This is enable us as a non-proft volunteer-led charity to continue our work in the community and provide opportunities for those less than fortunate to enjoy a trip on our boats on the canals and inland waterway networks of central England

You can make donations either by cash in the collection buckets that will be on the boats and by our Booking Tent, by card via our card payment terminal, or scan the QR code on the posters on the trip boats or at the Booking Tent to make a donation payment  via our website (which you can also do here)

3. Find out more about short break residential trips for your community group or organisation

Members of our team will be on hand throughout the weekend to tell you more about the opportunities we can provide to community groups and organisations on our boats. 

Whether it be short break residential of two or more nights at weekends or during the week, or a day trip as part of the limited number of inexpensive day trips we also provide from Braunston, talk to us about your group and how we can help create memories and an experience that will stay with your group members for years to come.

Why not even make an enquiry for your community group or organisation for 2027 or 2028?

4. Ask about volunteering with us

LNBP Community Boating is reliant on the efforts of volunteers who give their time to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and the canal boat experiences we provide.

And we are always keen to welcome new volunteers to our organisation, so if you are 16 years old and over, why not consider getting involved?

There are many ways you can get involved, and many benefits for individuals who volunteer with us, so talk to a member of our team (themselves, all volunteers) on how you can get involved; even if it is just for an hour or two here and there.

You can also find out more here

5. Find out and register for CCBM training

We are also also an accredited Training Centre for the Certificate in Community Boat Management (CCBM) and run several training weeks a year.

Administered by the National Community Boats Association (NCBA) of which LNBP Community Boating is a member, the CCBM course is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of people operating boats carrying groups of twelve passengers or less. It is

It is aimed at boat users in the voluntary or public sectors, but the scheme is also open to all group leaders using commercial hirecraft. Many organisations require the CCBM as a prerequisite for group leaders who are planning to self-steer.

For more information, talk to a member of our team and our Project Skippers who will be at the Show and running the trip boats. Why not even register your interest for our next CCBM Training event too.

As always,  we welcome any enquiries from all Show Visitors and are only too happy to answer any questions you may have.

So please don’t be afraid to pop by our Stand or ask a member of our team on the trip boats. You won’t miss us – we will have our distinctive blue polo shirts and sweat shirts on (and hopefully won’t need raincoats and umbrellas).

We look forward to seeing and meeting you at Crick.

The post Great reasons to see LNBP Community Boating at the 2026 Crick Boat Show appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

You will have hopefully seen that Rachel was embarking on a 26.2 mile walk from Napton to Stoke Bruerne along the Oxford and Grand Union Canals tow paths on Sunday as part of London Marathon ‘MyWay’ – Read more here.

Well, after much training, Sunday arrived and and an early start from Napton was greeted with decent weather, and off she went.

https://www.facebook.com/rachel.spruce/posts/pfbid0Ash8ve33qgXbBMDGnj5thAqSbEQDviEhCTzFa5AKCoWrZ7PR8YTve3J1azgfLdkrl

And before you know it, 26.2 miles later….

A virtual medal to prove it, and a very well-earned drink to boot (no pun intended)

As part of the MyWay walk, Rachel was raising money for LNBP Community Boating and having set a target to raise £1000.00….has so far raised £1500.00!

Again, a magnificent achievement of which everyone at LNBP is so grateful for and to everyone who has donated.

Whilst we once again offer our many congratulations to Rachel for taking on and completing this challenge, and for doing it all in aid of LNBP, it is only right the final word is hers…

https://www.facebook.com/LNBPCommunityBoating/posts/pfbid0D5FU3MZpB2vkR9T7n9X6zK6e36vdRi7LHhM1rXurcg6yjN3zQA5zcg7pwQZTcx4Kl

The post Congratulations and Thank You Rachel appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

As an accredited CCBM (Certificate in Community Boat Management) Training Centre, LNBP run a number of training weeks each year for prospective candidates with demand always high to join us and complete the course.

This latest course was once again another successful few days of training with all of the candidates successfully passing the course after several days out on the Oxford and Grand Union canal network in and around Braunston.

And even the weather was kind to our trainers Mike, Paul and Russ and their trainees!

The pictures below give you a flavour from last week.

Many thanks to everyone who attended and made it a highly successful and enjoyable week.

And sincere thanks to Mike, Paul and Russ for giving their time and running the course, and to Russ for the photos who could possibly have a new job in photography if ever he needed or fancied one.

• To find out more about LNBP’s CCBM courses and future dates including to register your interest for our next courses, email Mike at training@lnbp.co.uk

The post In pictures: CCBM Training Week: Spring 2026 appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Held over the Easter school holidays, these now-annual day trips are an extension of our regular weekend and midweek residential trips, designed to provide a fun introduction for youngsters to our local canals in and around Braunston alongside the ever-popular theme of pirates.

For this trip we had the pleasure of the company of members of Rhythmic Expressions Dance Academy based in Daventry who really got into character for what was another very successful and highly enjoyable trip as you can see from the pictures below.

Many thanks to ‘Purple Pirate’ Denise and her Captain Paul from LNBP for managing the trip and keeping the crew in order and waterways safe!

And thank you also to Chirelle and everyone at Rhythmic Expressions Dance Academy for coming along and really getting into the spirit of the day. It was an absolute pleasure to have you, and we hope to see you again soon.

• For more details about future Pirate Days with LNBP and how you can get your children’s centre or youth and community group involved, email us at marketing@lnbp.co.uk.

The post In pictures – Pirate Days 2026 appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

To read our latest update, click here

• If you would like to be added to our distribution list to receive our e-Newsletter, please email us with your details at marketing@lnbp.co.uk.

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Rachel Spruce will be undertaking the challenge of The London Marathon MyWay on Sunday 26^th April 2026.

The TCS London Marathon MyWay provides the opportunity to complete 26.2 miles however and wherever you wish (except indoors or on a treadmill) on Marathon Day. The start line can be wherever you choose, as long as you can complete the distance from 00:00 to 23:59:59 BST on Sunday 26 April 2026

In Rachel’s case, she will be walking the towpath of the Grand Union Canal, starting from Napton and heading for her ‘finish line’ at Stoke Bruerne via Braunston, all to raise money for LNBP Community Boating.

To find out more and sponsor Rachel in her efforts, head to her Justgiving page here

And you can follow Rachel’s progress on Strava – which includes her training and the actual walk on the day, by clicking this link:- Check out Rachel Spruce on Strava

• We are sure you will join everyone at LNBP to wish Rachel all the very best of luck with her challenge and we extend our thanks to her for all the efforts in aid of LNBP.

The post Rachel’s London Marathon MyWay for LNBP appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Once again our team will be at the ever-popular Show for what promises to be another busy Whitsun weekend.

Organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina, the three-day Show offers a great day out by the water for all the family and showcases 300 exhibitors from across the canal and inland waterways industry.

Held at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire, this year’s Show will once again be held over the late May [Whitsun] bank holiday weekend which for this year is across Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th and Monday 25th May 2026.

Once again there will be a Trade and Preview Day 24 hours before on Friday 22nd May when all boats and Quayside stands and much of the Show Village and Boating Marquee will be open to trade visitors and to Preview Day ticket holders.

Among the wide variety of stalls and entertainment on offer during the three public days, there is opportunity to take a boat trip with us as we will once again be operating the hugely-popular Trips Boats. Visitors to the Show can enjoy a short boat trip with us from the Marina and along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats which are once again run by our volunteer team of skippers.

The half-hour trips are free, but we welcome and greatly appreciate donations in lieu, with trips running every 10 minutes from 10.10am each of the three days of the show.

As these trips always prove very popular, our advice is to book with us once you arrive at the Show. You will find us at Stand F0 by the quayside where you can up your tickets  from our team who can tell you more about we can do and offer, answer any questions and take enquiries for potential community group shrt break trips and longer holidays for 2027 (and 2028!)

For more information about the 2026 Crick Boat Show and to buy tickets in advance, go to their website HERE.

We look forward to seeing you at Crick.

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