The volunteer who runs boat rides for the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust has said he’s surprised how well the charity has done during the Covid pandemic.

Chris Barry feared the organisation would be left high and dry after the popular trips that usually set off from Wichelstowe were stopped months ago.They are an important part of its fundraising operation.

He said: “We can’t run boat trips, there aren’t any events to go to, all that stopped. We can’t go places to encourage people to become members.

“But the good news, in terms of how the trust functions with planning and meetings, that’s all gone on completely uninterrupted because all of our meetings have gone online.

“The number of meetings we’re having has increased with more looking at things like signage, water supply and all sorts of things.”

The trust was given a helping hand with a £10,000 grant from the Vale of the White Horse District Council recently and other groups have made donations to keep it afloat.

Lockdown dealt the trust another blow by forcing the closure of the Peterborough Arms at Dauntsey Lock near Malmesbury.

Bought by the trust to be run as a centre as well as a canalside watering hole, it underwent a major refurbishment in 2018.

But Chris is optimistic the pub will reopen in the future.

He added: “It was doing quite well but then Covid came along and they tried to do takeaways for a while but it’s a bit out in the sticks so I don’t think they could keep that up.

“Our tenants were keen to stay around so we negotiated a large reduction in their rents and they’re still there waiting for Covid to eases off and to re-open.

“So we’ve done quite well surprisingly.”

Former Wroughton and Chiseldon GP Chris said he wasn’t sure when life could go back to normal.

“You’re talking to a fairly well-informed doctor and I don’t have the faintest idea,” Chris said. “Boris and co are, quite rightly, not committing themselves to anything.

“People keep asking when they’re going to open schools and things but they can’t answer the question.

“It depends on what the virus does which really depends on how people behave by not mixing too much.

“We don’t know when we’ll be back. We’re hopeful to start functioning again by Easter.”

Although the canal trust is managing to bob along at the moment, Chris has urged members of the public to sign up to volunteer or donate at wbct.org.uk

He added it is looking for volunteers to help reopen its Swindon town centre shop when lockdown is eased.