The Challenge

The Canal & River Trust was launched in 2012, taking over the guardianship of British Waterways’ 2,000-mile-long network of canals, rivers, reservoirs and docks in England and Wales. DJS Research has worked extensively on behalf of the Trust since the start of 2019. At this time, DJS Research was commissioned by the Trust to manage the continued delivery of their flagship project, the Waterways Engagement Monitor (WEM), which is a continuous online tracker survey collecting the views and experiences of adults aged 16+ across England and Wales.

The Approach

The WEM is key to informing a series of the Trust’s key performance indicators, including the volume of visitors to Trust waterways, brand awareness, brand support, the experience of users of waterways, and the value placed on local waterways. A total of 20,400 unique responses are collected per year.

In addition to the WEM, DJS Research has managed a series of additional ad-hoc projects that have helped to inform the strategic direction of its marketing, fundraising and volunteering teams. This includes three waves of the Youth Volunteering Survey (run in 2019, 2022 and 2023) among 1,500-2,000 young people aged 16-24; a Supporter Proposition Study (among current, potential and lapsed supporters); a survey of boaters living in London (in 2021); a face-to-face in-home Community Survey in six locations across England and Wales to evaluate the Trust’s Community Roots programme; and the Marple Waterways Visitor Survey.

The Results

Testimonial

“We have worked with DJS Research for four years now, and are regular clients. They are incredibly competitive in their market, and the quality of their work is outstanding. They will regularly highlight areas we haven’t thought of, and their technical expertise is incredibly valuable. The fact that DJS are employee-owned really shines through in their attention to detail and approachable working style. They often go out of their way to offer advice, meet tight deadlines, or answer questions. If I had to escribe DJS in three words, it would be: trustworthy, robust, reliable.” 

Canal & River Trust