"I love talking to people on the phone and meeting all the different people"

Meet the lovely Margaret, a volunteer for Waterways Experiences.

What prompted you to join Waterways Experiences? 

My husband Malcolm had been volunteering for Reachout and then Waterways Experiences and was obviously enjoying it so much that I decided to join him.

What role(s) do you have in WExp? 

I am on the Bookings team and man the phones one day a week, taking calls and answering emails about booking trips on our boats and other general queries. If anyone has a query about anything they always call the booking line first as we’re number 1 in the options! It is great talking to people, finding out about them, what they like, and how WExp can help them. I am crew on the widebeams and Sheldrake 3 but don’t get out as often as I’d like. I’ve also volunteered for 2 Enables and am due to do another one and a young carer’s weekend this year. 

What do you enjoy most about being with Waterways Experiences?

I love talking to people on the phone and meeting all the different people who hire our boats from groups of elderly people from care homes, to learning impaired adults who join in on the locks and steering with such enthusiasm, to kids and their parents who are obviously having a good time. Also the joy of being out on the water in our lovely bit of Hertfordshire.

What do you say to your friends about working for Waterways Experiences?

I'll tell everybody about WExp! I say we are a wonderful group of people. We are friendly and enthusiastic about what we do and it is great fun.

What do you do outside of WExp?

I have 3 grandchildren and meet up with them (and their families) regularly. I take the bookings for the Royal Bank of Scotland (Natwest) Inland Waterways club who own 2 narrowboats that we hire out to members. I do the weekly newsletter and serve (administer the wine) for some services in our local parish church.

I am a director and am company secretary and do the accounts for the company that Malcolm and a friend ran building and hosting websites. This has mostly closed down but I’ve still got some work to do. I keep chickens and have a large garden which never gets as much attention as it needs.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Working on ‘Bookings’ is rewarding because you get to talk to potential clients, find out what they would like, and tell them how wonderful WExp is - though most of them know already. More help is always appreciated so if you know a reasonable amount about how WExp works and could be available to answer the phone and answer emails between 9 & 5 a few days a month please get in touch.

Find out more here https://www.govolherts.org.uk/o/7217845-/opportunities