The Accessible Boating Association (ABA), based at Odiham on the Basingstoke Canal, will be holding a double celebration this year. The charity will be celebrating its 40th anniversary coupled with the 30th year of operation of its holiday boat, Madam Butterfly.
Mildred Stocks, the then Chairman of Hart District Council, founded the charity (originally named Boats for the Handicapped) in 1986 to enable people with mobility issues to enjoy boating on the newly restored Basingstoke Canal. The late Timothy West and Prunella Scales were patrons of the charity.
Its original boat was built by apprentices from the nearby Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. Subsequently, with the help of funding from the National Lottery, the charity had two boats built: a holiday boat, Madam Butterfly launched in 1996 and a dayboat, Dawn, launched in 1999. The charity is a member of the National Community Boats Association (NCBA) and the Accessible Waterways Association.
In recent years circa 1000 passengers, young and old, with physical and mental issues have been able to take day trips and holidays each season on the canal. Something that is only possible thanks to ABA’s purpose-built boats.
ABA has also been running Father Christmas trips for the past 10 years where children get to take a short canal cruise with Santa. It’s proven hugely popular over the years and gets busier each year.
The charity is run by volunteers with Galleon Marine operating Madam Butterfly on its behalf. ABA received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021.That award is the highest accolade a charity can achieve and reflects both the importance and quality of the work the charity does, how much that work is appreciated by its users and the level of dedication shown by all the volunteers.
The celebration event will take place Galleon Marine’s Boatyard in Odiham, Hampshire on Wednesday 15th July. The event is by invitation only.
