RESIDENTIAL Boat-Owners living along the river Cam voted unanimously on Monday to form an official Camboaters Community Association.

The formation of the Association formalises the growing sense of community amongst river boat live-aboards, although the Camboaters have already been a pro-active body for some time. As well as producing and sponsoring their own newsletter, the Camboaters have entered the public eye with the recent successful Boat Open Day and Great Cam Clean-Up. At the Boat Open Day in August, twenty residential boat owners opened up their homes to the general public and helped dispel some of the myths about river boat life. As part of the Great Cam Clean-Up last week, boat owners voluntarily collected over 600 litres of rubbish and over 600 litres of recyclable waste from the river and banks between Bottisham Lock and Granchester. The election of specific Events and Operations Co-ordinators to the committee indicates that these united efforts to contribute to the good of the river as a whole will continue in full force.

Robin Cocker, chair of the newly formed committee, says “This is a really positive step forward for the Camboaters. Being part of an official association will help individual boat owners assert our rights as users of the river. We hope it will help us develop even stronger relations with other river users and local residents.”

The Camboaters Community Association committee comprises 13 members, all of whom live on boats on the river Cam: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Media Liaison Officer, Operations Officer, Events Co-ordinator, Morale Officer, and Representatives for the Royal Boat Owners Association and the Cam Conservators. Committee meetings are open to all members, and emphasis is firmly on collective, democratic decision-making.

For more information, visit www.camboaters.co.uk