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| The History of The
Bruce Trust |
The Bruce Trust was created in 1988 by Louise and David
Bruce, following the sale of Bruce's Brewery and the
Firkin Pubs in London. Being keen to plough back some of
the proceeds into a project which would benefit the
community, they became intrigued with the possibility of
offering to disabled, disadvantaged or elderly people
the opportunity to enjoy self-steer, self-catering
holidays, cruising on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Having carried out considerable research into the
existing facilities for people with special needs on
Britain's other inland waterways, the Bruces invested
over £80,000 into building The Rebecca. This specially-
designed, purpose-built, wide-beam canal boat offers the
highest quality accommodation and the ultimate
flexibility for up to twelve people.
Due to the extraordinary market demand for The Rebecca
during her first two seasons, an appeal was launched in
January 1991 to fund the development of a second boat. Over
500 donations between £2 and £10,000 were received,
enabling The Hannah to be built, also sleeping up to
twelve people.
In September 1993, the Trust purchased an existing
wide-beamed boat, purpose-built for disabled people, The
Rachel. At the end of the 2008 season, the Trust
realised it needed to replace The Rachel as she had
reached the end of her serviceable life. She was
replaced in August 2009 by a new, specially-designed,
purpose-built 6 berth boat (also called Rachel) which is
ideally suited for a family group with a disabled member
or a small group from a care in the community
residential organisation. The £150,000 capital cost was
fundraised between January 2008 and April 2009 - no mean
achievement during the deepest recession since the
1930's.
The fourth boat, The Diana, joined the fleet in 1998.
This too is a purpose-built, wide-beamed boat which
accommodates up to 10 people and provides the latest
facilities for helping people with
special needs.
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We Need You!
To find out more about joining our team of Voluntary
Helpers, visit our Volunteer page or contact Rebecca
Bruce on:
01264 356451
To find out how you can help us fundraise without it
costing you a penny, visit our Fundraising page or
contact Rebecca Bruce on: 01264 356451
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