We need to replace our 3-tonne excavator, which has served us well for many years. This machine has been a key part of the canal restoration project, particularly on a lot of the smaller jobs in less accessible old locks and towpaths, but also on some of the bigger jobs. It’s worked hard for us and is now getting beyond its serviceable life and is very costly to keep replacing increasingly scarce parts.

We are hoping to replace this aging excavator with an equivalent second-hand machine of about three-years old with a full service history. We're also hoping to buy a 5-tonne excavator to support the 3-tonne machine and enable us to work more quickly and efficiently on restoring the canals. We are using the Big Give Christmas Challenge as there are not many funding sources that will cover capital expenditure such as this.