Canal bridge painted in rainbow colours in honour of Preston's keyworkers

Volunteers joined forces with the Canal and River Trust to transform the footbridge on the Lancaster Canal, at the top of Ashton Basin, on Wednesday (July 29).

Mike and Beth Balshaw-English, from the Ashton and Riversway PACT community group, were among a handful of locals who spent six hours painting the bridge.

Last year, the group adopted the section of the Lancaster Canal from Ashton Basin to Cadley Services, and has organised regular litter picks to help keep the area free from plastic waste.

"We had a wonderful day painting Bridge 10 over the Ashton Basin," said Mike

"It is a community gesture to honour the selfless dedication of our NHS workers, who have made sacrifices to protect us all and still continue to do so throughout the pandemic.

"Ashton & Riversway PACT adopted this section of the Lancaster Canal last year and this was our first activity since lockdown working with the Canal & River Trust.

"When this project was first put forward, we were only too happy to give it our full backing and support."

The Canal and River Trust, who maintain the country's waterways, said it was more than happy to support the tribute to Preston's keyworkers after the idea was first suggested by a local resident.

Anna Barlow from the Canal and River Trust said: “It’s great that we have people in the local community who will come to us with ideas and get stuck in.

"With rainbows popping up across the community, we thought it would fit in nicely with that.

"The rainbow bridge is a lovely feature that will liven up the area and show that we’re all in support of our keyworkers, especially during the COVID-19 situation."