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Wiltshire: Building a better understanding of the boater community

Wiltshire includes 65 kilometres of the Kennet and Avon Canal and is home to a vibrant and diverse ‘boater’ community. Wiltshire Council’s public health team has been working with them to find out more about this unique way of life. Alongside the joy and freedom of life on the water, boaters face challenges in accessing things that the settled community take for granted – from clean water and warm homes to dentistry and healthcare.

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The challenge

The challenges faced by Wiltshire’s boater community were put into sharper focus during the cost of living crisis, which saw them disproportionately affected by issues such as food and fuel poverty. 

At the same time, it became clear that the size of the community had been underestimated. It was thought that around 500 people lived on the canal in Wiltshire. In 2022-23, the Canal and River Trust (the licensing authority for inland waterways) identified just under 2,000 individual boat sightings here in a year. This figure is now thought to better reflect the size of Wiltshire’s boater population.   

The lack of a home address can make it more difficult for boaters to access all forms of healthcare, including screening services and mental health support. Those with a ‘continuous cruiser’ licence have to move on every fortnight. Tasks that the settled community take for granted can be challenging. For example, it can take up to a day’s cruising and fuel to fill up a boat’s water tank. 

The solution

Data on the health and living circumstances of boaters was scarce, so Wiltshire’s public health team set out to build an evidence base from scratch. A working group developed a survey to gather information on the perspectives, needs and concerns of boaters. The use of a strengths-based approach (which focuses on people’s self-determination and strengths) ensured that the team asked boaters about the benefits of living on the water, as well as what could be improved. 

Alongside the survey, 40 volunteers from the council and its voluntary sector partners took part in a canal walk, covering all 65km. Each pair of volunteers walked a section of the canal, talking with boaters and noting the infrastructure. These conversations highlighted the joys and challenges of life on the water. The survey was open for four weeks, both online and through printed copies in hub locations used by the community.

The impact

The council worked with trusted community members to publicise this work and alleviate people’s concerns around taking part. Those links into the community helped to ensure that 218 survey responses were received, around 10 per cent of Wiltshire’s boater community. 

This data was processed by the council’s business intelligence team. Key findings included:

  • 63 per cent of respondents said dentistry was difficult to access. 
  • 42 per cent said mental wellbeing support was difficult to access. 
  • 38 per cent said drinking water was difficult to access. 
  • 90 per cent were registered with a GP, but 40 per cent of these were out-of-county. 
  • 26 per cent said they smoked tobacco. 
  • 60 per cent said they sometimes or always felt lonely or isolated.   

The insight was analysed, and the resulting report makes recommendations for all organisations working with boaters. These include:

  • Work together to improve access to clean water and waste collection. 
  • Increase engagement and awareness of support groups, with an initial focus on support for men. 
  • Understand what is preventing boaters from accessing dentistry services and how this could be improved. 
  • Explore how boater communities can access food banks and break down negative perceptions of using these services.
  • Raise awareness of stop smoking support within the community. 

The cost impact of this work was minimal. Managers gave permission for staff to use a day of working time to complete the canal walk. There was some printing cost for the maps, risk assessments and survey. 

Vicki Lofts, Public Health Specialist at Wiltshire Council, said: “The results have gone far and wide, both within the council and with our partners. Living on a boat is a very active lifestyle and people embarking on a boating life know that. But we have residents who have lived on boats for 20 years or more whose health has deteriorated in that time. It is important that we continue to promote greater health equity of facilities and healthcare services to this community.” 

How is this approach being sustained?

This insight is being used to better-plan services and support for Wiltshire’s boater community. The public health team have been promoting the findings to partners including primary health and town and parish councils. A liaison group has been set up to look at how everyone can work together, and with the community, to address the recommendations. This work is overseen by the multi-agency Traveller Reference Group.

The partners are also thinking creatively about funding opportunities. For example, Wiltshire Council is working with voluntary sector partner Julian House and looking to identify funding sources for a pilot project exploring how solar panels and battery technology could generate sustainable electricity for boaters.

Wiltshire’s public health team have found this piece of work to be enlightening, offering significant insights into a seldom-heard community. They would recommend to other councils the need to first establish and build connections and a rapport by taking time to get out and visit these communities, to meet them and understand where and how they live. 

Secondly, it is important to appreciate the hesitancy from these communities about why the information is being gathered and how it will be used. Strengthening relationships with community members helps to build trust, and this was a significant factor in the number of survey responses received.

Wiltshire Council’s work with the boater community reflects the four themes that run across both its business plan and the joint health and wellbeing strategy: 

  • Understanding and connecting with communities. 
  • Working together with communities to design and deliver services that meet their needs.
  • Tackling inequalities. 
  • Prevention and early intervention. 

Contact

Vicki Lofts, Public Health Specialist (Building Resilience): [email protected]

Richard Francis, Public Health Specialist (Wider Determinants of Health): [email protected]

Further information