David Wolfson

David is Chairman of the Trustees of Milton Keynes Canals and also part of the management group for Electra, MK’s all-electric community narrowboat, in association with The Parks Trust. Electra was launched for passenger trips in 2020, and since then it has carried about 2000 passengers per year on trips up and down the canal, mooring up in Campbell Wharf and also in Great Linford Manor Park.

David also discusses his involvement with the Bedford – Milton Keynes Waterway project, which is a plan to build a new canal from Milton Keynes, just South of the Campbell Wharf Marina, across to Bedford. The Marina is a center point for canal-based tourism and facilities in Milton Keynes now. David also talks about the positive relationships between the Parks Trust, the Canal & River Trust and his work with the Electra boat.

He talks about how the canal sits within the Park and the work to preserve, maintain and develop the area for the benefit of future generations as MK becomes more urbanized. New developments are looking towards the canal as an amenity rather than looking away from it.  This has implications for all kinds of activity; recreation, tourism and environmental issues, including the creation of waterside habitats and increasing biodiversity.

One of David’s favourite MK memories is of sailing his own boat into Milton Keynes and mooring up in Great Linford beside the church and finding it a very welcoming space, because the boating community look out for one another.