A CHARITY is offering community groups the chance to 'adopt' a stretch of canal, in a bid to improve the county's waterways.

Adoption groups will be given a mile long stretch of canal to care for, as part of the project launched by the Canal and River Trust.

Volunteers will work with the Trust to improve their section of waterway, improving wildlife habitats, litter picking, or even planting community vegetable patches.

One group which has already adopted a section of the Worcester Birmingham Canal between Diglis and Perdiswell is the Worcester Canal Group.

Joy Squires, a volunteer with the group, said: "We’ve been going three years now and have more than 70 members. At least 20 of us will be out working on the last Saturday of each month.

"We get help from local resident groups to pick up litter and every three months we use the Canal and River Trust’s volunteer boat to help get to places we can’t reach from the towpath.

"We’re not confined to just litter collection though. We’ve held a canal festival with the help of the Worcester, Birmingham and Droitwich Canal Society.

"We’ve recruited in local experts to lead wildlife walks, as there’s huge array of wildlife out on the canal.

"One of our future projects is to work alongside a huge range of local organisations to help improve conditions along the water for all the wildlife.

"Hopefully it shows that we are not only keeping our stretch clean and tidy, but also helping to improve it so that everyone in the community can benefit."

More than 160 miles of canal have already been adopted by scout groups, running clubs and schools. But the trust is hoping to get 500 miles of its network adopted by 2025.

Richard Parry, chief executive of the trust, said: "Local waterways are arguably as important today as they have ever been. But to make sure this valuable legacy thrives into the future, we need to capitalise on the huge pride people have in them and encourage groups to work alongside us to make it happen.

"We see how much a stretch of canal is improved if local people are helping us to look after it, that’s why we’ve set an ambitious target for people to show their love for their local canal."

For more information visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/adopt-a-canal