Watch: Keeping Market Drayton's canal looking beautiful and clean come rain or shine

Volunteers meet every second Monday of the month to ensure that the town's canal remains a welcoming and picturesque spot for residents and visitors alike.

Working under the Canal and River Trust who supply equipment and materials, volunteers paint furniture, pick litter, cut the grass, maintain hedges and fix any problems that may have occurred.

This month, volunteers met to give the canal's benches a new lick of paint to ensure that they remain an attractive place to sit for residents and visitors. 

Geoffrey Russell has been volunteering for more than 12 years after he was invited to join in and join the group.

The former driving instructor said: "We painted benches and handrails, but we do all sort of things like cutting the grass, cutting branches back if it is overgrowing.

"We do a lot of maintenance, like with when sign posts are falling over or have rotted.

"We all live in Market Drayton not far from the canal, and if we didn't do it then it wouldn't get done because the Canal and River Trust are that short of money.

"They provide all the paint, brushes and timber, but we do the general maintenance like cleaning the steps down to the canal and keeping it tidy.

"It is a lovely space and some of us live by the canal and on the houses along the front. So it makes sense to keep the space tidy and it is something we like doing.

"We just do what we can, it is a very important part of Market Drayton because a lot of boats come and bring a lot of visitors so it is nice when it looks nicer."

And, their work doesn't go unnoticed by residents and civic leaders in Market Drayton who are grateful for their time and efforts.

Mayor Roy Aldcroft expressed his gratitude to volunteers, adding: "They recognise that the canal is one of the key areas for tourists who tent to linger around and to have it looking so good and well-maintained means people actually look forward to coming to Market Drayton and knowing it is going to be tidy.

"I applaud the work they do combined with the Canal and River Trust which they work closely with. I do recognise that doing it throughout the year, not just when it is bright and sunny but when it is wet and windy is quite a task and I recognise the commitment they put towards keeping the area looking nice."