A WINTER home is needed for a boat which provides popular trips across the River Severn in Worcester.

The 60-year-old Cathedral Ferry boat - affectionately named Doris - is looking for a new home for the winter months.

Doris was providing trips every Sunday and bank holiday Monday afternoon throughout the summer, costing just 50p for a trip.

For many years, the boat has been housed over winter in a large industrial estate wherever space was available, often moving several times during a season.

This arrangement has now ended as the former premises due to be re-developed so a new location is needed as soon as possible.

Mark Glossop, of Cathedral Ferry, said anyone the boat does not necessarily need to be housed in Worcester.

He said: "The new winter home can be anywhere in Worcester, or up to around three miles away, it really does not matter but we just need somewhere new.

"The benefit of the previous location was that we could take the boat from the River Severn, up the canal, but the new space does not particularly need to be nearby.

"We can get the boat out and tow it to wherever it needs to go." 

The new home needs to be somewhere under cover and around 25ft long and 15ft wide, with good access and power so that the team can work on it during the winter.

Work will involve scraping, repainting and repairing the woodwork of the boat.

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The boat has been in Worcester since 1983 when the ferry service was re-opened after 25 years and is run entirely by volunteers and has raised over £20,000 for Worcestershire charities.

Doris was unable to operate during the pandemic, but returned to service in 2022. Three new volunteers were recruited and trained in 2023 and a full team is ready for the new season in 2024.

Anyone who knows of any space which might be suitable can contact Mark Glossop by calling 01905 333265 or by emailing mbglossop@gmail.com.