We are always looking for donations and additional funding.
CHUG is a registered charity (registered number 1072335) and everybody involved volunteers to run it. Our time and funds are used to organise community events, make donations to Laburnum Boat Club, maintain our basin, purchase allotment equipment, and other activities.
Laburnum Boat Club
CHUG has worked closely with Laburnum Boat Club for over 30 years.
CHUG has funded Laburnum Boat Club’s education projects and also funded equipment such as new canoes, updating the fleet, maintenance of their community narrowboats, and a new multi-boat trailer so they can take local youngsters on adventures wider afield. CHUG will give support in anyway it can.
CHUG is proud to have two chug representatives on the management committee as trustees, who meet every other month. Another two of CHUG’s members are RYA Laburnum trained narrowboat skippers, helping deliver the community narrowboat boat trips running from the boat club.
The canoe slalom course, at entrance to Kingsland Basin, was a project designed, funded and installed by CHUG members. The course annually hosts club, inter-club and division 4 events during which visitors make use of CHUG’s facilities located in the commercials section of the Metropolitan Housing Association’s building nearby. The slalom course has proved an important resource for the Laburnum children and coaches. It brings the whole basin alive with spectators and cheering! Look out for events in May.
Through Laburnum CHUG works with Caroline Clarke, local historian and archivist, who works tirelessly in documenting and keeping alive the history of the East End canals. In 2024 CHUG helped with the “Old Geezers” project, and previously the East End Canal festival, celebrating 100 years of the Regents Canal. CHUG has two chug members who trained as historic East End canal guides trained through the heritage project with Laburnum.
Our involvement with Laburnum has brought us unexpected opportunities and pleasures, too. It brought us our eautiful floating allotment with Shoreditch Trust. And our work with the Kindest Architect.
Over the years CHUG has partnered with various local businesses and organisations to help fundraise and spread Laburnum’s great work. Including Signature Brew, Dalston Children’s Festival, Shoreditch Trust, Hackney Brewery, St Mary’s Secret Garden, Hackney City Farm, Hackney Pirates, The Hackney Brewery, Kings Hall Leisure Centre. CHUG thanks them all for their time and support.
As well as supporting the club as a whole, CHUG looks forward to helping any young local individual members of Laburnum that come to us with their fundraising targets. Whether that be a budding national athlete or an aspiring Olympian, to get them the equipment or transportation they need or the opportunity of a once in a lifetime Nepal kayak trip, that will change their world and broaden their horizons.
CHUG recently fundraised for the refurbishment of Laburnum’s “A Frame” building. (Their changing rooms). So far we have donated £12,250 and our most recent Christmas Carol Event helped us to hit our £12,500 target.
Also, look out for our CHUG members running in the up and coming Hackney Half 2026 as part of the Laburnum fund raising team.
Other fundraising
Our first priority is re-greening the basin: Through current development works we have lost most of the trees, shrubs, weeds and flowers that used to make the basin such a special place. We are currently developing plans for a ‘Green Wall’ to our new moorings, i.e. a vertical garden that recreates some of the lost greenery. In collaboration with local stake holders we hope to extend our greening endeavours beyond the basin along the towpath.
For our outreach and educational work, we are in the process of developing a set of resources for that promote understanding of boat life, which can be lent out to local primary schools and nurseries. These should include story and factual books as well as toys, e.g. a mini narrowboat, which children can play with. We are also working on a set of Info & History Boards to be installed along our new public boardwalk, giving visitors information and reference points.
At the moment we are also in the middle of setting up a series of Boaters’ Workshops, putting together a New-to-Boating guide, commissioning a ‘canal’ drama, and securing contributions for our Christmas Fair.
If you would like to make a donation, please get in touch!
CHUG Secretary, info@chug.org.uk
