What is the AWCC?

The Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs (AWCC) is a grouping of individual and independent clubs which offer their members facilities related to boating on the inland waterways of the United Kingdom. Membership of the AWCC is open to all properly constituted UK clubs in this sphere, whether they have a defined physical location and base (i.e. moorings and/or clubhouse), or comprise a looser grouping of individual boaters with a common interest. Membership of the AWCC is not open to individual boaters other than by being a member of a club that is an AWCC member. Clubs pay a modest annual fee for membership of the AWCC that then entitles all their members to take advantage of the facilities that the AWCC offers.

What are the benefits of AWCC membership?

There are benefits from membership of the AWCC for both clubs and their individual members.

For clubs, membership provides access to the expertise and shared experience of both the national AWCC officers and members and officers of other member clubs. In particular, the AWCC has experienced officers who can represent the interests of member clubs, either individually or collectively, with other organisations and government departments, including the Canal & Rivers Trust, and the Environment Agency. The AWCC have officers who sit on a number of national waterways advisory bodies, and can thus represent the interests of member clubs in those forums.

For individual club members, the AWCC offers reciprocal arrangements with other member clubs, including emergency help whilst out cruising, access to temporary moorings for overnight or longer stays, as well as use of other facilities and clubhouse access. Clearly these facilities will depend on what each club is able to offer, and each club is free to determine their own rules and charges for use of the facilities. Members of AWCC clubs have access to contact details for each club to make arrangements before visiting other member clubs.