ASF Corporate Members

Scottish Waterways Trust - American Friends

The American Friends of Scotland's Canals & Waterways (AFSC&W) is a designated key partner charity of the American-Scottish Foundation.

The American-Scottish Foundation is excited to engage with and promote AFSC&W's valuable work supporting the protection and conservation of Scotland's beautiful, unique waterways through the activities of Scottish Waterways Trust.


This great partnership opens up opportunities for people and organisations in America to connect with a vital part of Scotland's history and heritage by joining AFSC&W as an American Friend, or supporting Scottish Waterways Trust's pioneering projects across Scotland with directed giving opportunities.

The Falkirk Hub Centre

After a fire this Spring destroying the Falkirk Hub Center, our Corporate partner Scottish Waterways Trust, have launched a crowd funding campaign to raise initial funding of 10,000 GBP.

ASF is supporting the imitative and offers you a way to support making your donation tax deductible through donating via ASF (links below) - or you can donate directly to the UK Crowd Funding campaign (which does not carry a US Tax Deduction)

If you have questions please call the ASF Office on t. 212 605 0338

ASF suggestedl levels of support for the The Scottish Waterways Trust Crowd funding Hub Campaign:

$25 $45 $75 $150 $250 $500 $750 $1000 $1500

Choose your level of support when you click through to Paypal:

The Scottish Waterways Trust Crowd funding Hub Campaign

2017 World Canals Conference - Syracuse, New York



Other Major Projects 2016-2020

Canal College® 2

Our two year canal college program, which cruised to a close in May 2015, was a huge success and we’d really appreciate your support to make it happen all over again. The story so far:

  • 162 young people took part
  • over 72% moved on to a job, training, education or volunteering
  • 24 volunteer mentors shared their time and invaluable life skills
  • together, everyone contributed a staggering 19,568 volunteer hours (the equivalent of almost $1.5m in time) to helping keep the historic waterways looking amazing

We’re grateful to funders the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Union Interreg IVB North West Europe project ‘Green & Blue Futures’, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Canals for enabling us to establish canal college.

Now we’d like to include you, our American Friends, to continue this amazing work. The canal college Final Report is now vailable, downloadit and find out more. We’re sure it will inspire you to get involved.

Fundraising for Canal College 2

We are now actively fundraising for the $1.9 million we need to open canal college 2 in North Glasgow, Falkirk and the Highlands and run it for a further three years.

$25

$50

$150

What your donation will mean:

$25 could contribute towards a place on an environmental skills training activity for young people, such as tree management, path laying or invasive species management

$50 could help pay for materials and staff to help young people learn on the job by completing stonework repairs on the historic waterway

$150 could fund a lime mortaring workshop on the canal teaching valuable skills for employment

Sponsor a young person

$1,700

$5,400

Sponsor a young person on the path to work and help them take the first steps towards a brighter future through innovative, outdoors employability projects on Scotland's waterways.

$1,700 could help a young person discover new-found confidence and self-esteem through waterways education programmes like canal college, running one day per week

$5,400 could help a young person learn the vital heritage training and waterways maintenance skills they need to get into work on canal college, running three days per week

Sponsor an employability course

Help us reach even more disadvantaged young people in Scotland and sponsor an innovative outdoors employability course.

$25,500* could fund an entire 12 week employability course similar to canal college, to help between 15 and 20 young people receive unique outdoors skills training, one day a week

$81,000* could fund an entire canal college course running for 14 weeks, transforming the lives of 15 young people

*not available though Paypal. Please use this form or contact americanscottishfoundation@gmail.com

Ironwork Canal Archaeologists

We’ve helped community groups and individuals indulge their inner Indiana Jones to help uncover the remains of a lost canalside ironworks on Glasgow’s Forth & Clyde Canal, as part of an innovative arts and archaeology project.

The ironworks, which once sat on the banks of the canal at Applecross Street in North Glasgow, dates back to the industrial revolution heyday of the waterway in the mid-19th century.

Chris O’Connell, Senior Heritage Advisor, Scottish Canals:

“Victoria Foundry played a key part in the story of both the waterway and Glasgow itself and we’re incredibly excited to be able to explore that rich history in an innovative and exciting way.”

A soundscape created by artist Phillip Gurrey transports participants back to the glory days of the forge, conjuring roaring bellows, rushing water and the mighty clang of hammers on great anvils as part of an aural experience exploring Glasgow’s shift as a hub of industry to a beacon of culture.

Local artists Minty Donald, Neil McGuire and Nick Millar have installed a temporary furnace on the site – the first time a forge has been fired within the walls of the foundry in more than a century.

While today the waterway is home to social enterprises and cyclists rather than factories and coal scows, the Forth & Clyde Canal was once a transport artery that stoked the fires of the Industrial Revolution. Opened in 1790, the canal was used to carry passengers, goods and materials to and from the factories, foundries and warehouses of the city, playing a key role in Glasgow’s economic success.

Fundraising for Ironwork Canal Archaeologists

We are now actively fundraising the $77,000 we need to continue the Ironwork Archaeologists project.

$25

$50

$150

What your donation will mean:

$25 could fund an hour-long talk which connects communities with the canal’s fascinating past

$50 could fund a bespoke schools session, inspiring a new generation to care for the heritage of Scotland’s canals

$150 could fund a year-long programme of heritage walks, guiding communities through the rich history of our waterways

Why do we need your help? With your generous donations we can make a massive difference to the lives of people in Scotland.

General Funding: Open Donation of your choice

If you do not wish to join or donate online, download and complete our membership form or project donation form and return it with your check or credit card details to:

American-Scottish Foundation
575 Madison Avenue 10th floor

New York, NY 10022


Become an American Friend of Scotland's Canals and Waterways

Join our waterways circle and forge a closer connection with Scotland's canals. Your generous help will enable us to carry out innovative work on our inland waterways and you will become a vital canal champion, engaging with our activities.

As an American Friend of Scotland's Canals and Waterways you will help:

• create projects that inspire our most disadvantaged children and young people, encouraging them to use our waterways for healthy outdoor education, skills training and recreation
• regenerate some of the most vulnerable communities living and working along Scotland's inland waterways
• develop a sustainable Scottish waterway network which is managed with care & the protection of its special heritage & environment
• conserve and promote Scotland's waterways as widely as possible for future generations to enjoy

Waterways Circle Membership

There are three levels of Membership to join our Waterways Circle. For your annual subscription to the American Friends of Scotland's Canals and Waterways you will receive:

The Caledonian Circle

Annual subscription from $1500. The following benefits:
- A 10% discount on a stunning canalside cottage or houseboat stay in Scotland
- A print of the historic land plan of the Forth & Clyde Canal, at the site of the Kelpies
- A tweed keyring inspired by Scotland's canals, handmade in Scotland at a historic wool mill
- Selected invitations to Scottish Waterways Trust events and exhibitions in the US
- Two American Friends newsletters per year
- Your own personal copy of Scottish Waterways Trust's annual review

The Forth & Clyde Circle

Annual subscription from $500. The following benefits:
- A print of the historic land plan of the Forth & Clyde Canal, at the site of the Kelpies
- A tweed keyring inspired by Scotland's canals, handmade in Scotland at a historic wool mill
- Selected invitations to Scottish Waterways Trust events and exhibitions in the US
- Two American Friends newsletters per year
- Your own personal copy of Scottish Waterways Trust's annual review

The Union Circle

Annual subscription from $350. The following benefits:
- A tweed keyring inspired by Scotland's canals, handmade in Scotland at a historic wool mill
- Selected invitations to Scottish Waterways Trust events and exhibitions in the US
- Two American Friends newsletters per year
- Your own personal copy of Scottish Waterways Trust's annual review

Become a friend today:

CaledonianCircle
$1500

Forth & Clyde Circle
$500

Union Circle
$350

Membership is annual and can be renewed from your joining date.

If you do not wish to join online, download and complete our membership form and return it with your check or credit card details to:

American-Scottish Foundation
575 Madison Avenue 10th floor

New York, NY 10022

Planned Giving, Planned gifts and bequests offer a donor income and tax advantages and may make a far larger gift possible.

Planned Giving instruments include Bequests (Legacies), Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Deferred Gift Annuities, Gift Annuities and Retirement Plans. We recommend you consult your professional adviser, accountant, attorney, or bank official to make arrangements for planned giving.

Bequests

A bequest of any size provides a gift for Scottish Waterways Trust in your will and is one of the simplest ways to support the inland waterways of Scotland’s future.

Learn much more about Scottish Waterways Trust at www.americanfriends.scot

If you have questions about your membership or donation, please contact americanscottishfoundation@gmail.com