Peter Le Marchant Trust

Based in the heart of Loughborough, the Peter Le Marchant Trust is a charity that provides canal boat trips on the beautiful waterways of Leicestershire. They offer a range of well-being and seasonal trips for individuals, groups and families.

Voluntary Action Leicestershire (VAL) has played a vital role in helping the charity involve volunteers more effectively. One of the key areas of support has been the successful advertisement of volunteer roles throughout Leicestershire, which has significantly widened the reach and increased engagement across the county.

Beyond recruitment, the charity received expert guidance on volunteer management, strengthening internal systems and ensuring volunteers feel supported and integrated into day-to-day operations. Support also extended to the promotion of the trust’s services, helping to raise its profile within the wider community. This enhanced visibility not only attracted more volunteers but also improved public recognition of the charity’s work.

An important part of the collaboration was the ability to define essential volunteer roles such as crew members, skippers, workshop facilitators, and gardeners. Clear role definitions helped potential volunteers identify where they could contribute meaningfully.

Additionally, detailed volunteer role descriptions were developed, setting clear expectations and improving the overall efficiency of the recruitment process. This structured approach has laid a strong foundation for sustained volunteer engagement.

Tim Marren CEO of Peter Le Marchant Trust says,

Volunteers recruited through VAL have made a significant impact on our charity. Their support has allowed us to fully crew our boats seven days a week, primarily assisting people with physical and mental disabilities. We’ve also increased the number of trained skippers, expanded our award-winning gardening team, and developed a new fundraising team to help secure the long-term sustainability of our charity.

If you have a passion or a background in boating or sailing this opportunity could be for you!
Find out more here.