Dudley Canal trust boss hopeful for Christmas events going ahead
"We are really hoping we can open in December – we have been selling tickets for our Santa Boat event since June and have 2,000 gifts ready to hand out."
CEO of Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust Traci Dix-Williams has said that while November is usually the attraction's quietest month, December is busy with Christmas events.
She hopes the boats can get back on the water as soon as December begins, so that visitors can enjoy Christmas magic in the tunnels. Around 2,000 gifts have already been prepared to hand out during the trips.
The Trust secured funding of £309,000 from the Cultural Recovery Fund earlier this year, which has given it a much-needed boost during difficult times – but Mrs Dix-Williams said the income during December helped carry the charity through January and February.
She is worried about lockdown lasting longer than just the one month.
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Mrs Dix-Williams said: "We're very lucky that we secured some funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund, Of course there's no way it will cover everything but it has given us a bolster so we can trade.
"We're in no way as dire a position as some of the other places near us. We'll be closed for November and we really hope we can open for December as we have our December events on.
"We have sold out of tickets for our really special Santa Boat event, where you visit Santa on the boats and the tunnels are covered in fairy lights. It's so special. We've had to rework the whole event too and make sure it's suitable for Covid restrictions. Tickets have been selling since June and our first Christmas boat is on December 4.
"We've had to reduce capacity on boats too so it's not like we can relocate people from earlier trips, if they're cancelled, and put them on other boats – due to Covid."
Mrs Dix-Williams said the staff had been optimistic since coming back to work after the first wave of coronavirus in the summer, but that many have been worried about a second lockdown.
She added: "Staff were so pleased when we could open in July – we didn't have the best ever trade but we kept ourselves operating. The culture recovery money was not a silver bullet but it gave us a breather. We just want to protect our staff, volunteers and community.
"November for us is our quietest month – the weather is changing, we don't have open water trips, it's just pretty much our underground trips. But we also do community events, free trips for local community groups, that sort of thing. So while financially it won't be as big a hit for us than if in other month, it does hit us in terms of engagement."
