Get in contact with us:
• Message us directly on Facebook
• Email us at [email protected]
• General and emergency enquiries phone number (open 24 hours per day): 07961796721
Who we are:
We are a crew of people living and working on boats who met through the boating community of London. During covid we realised that the boating community did not receive any government support even though m
any boater’s were losing their jobs due to the pandemic. We came together to make the Boat Faeries, an independent organisation designed to look out for people living on the canals and rivers in and around London. As boaters ourselves, we understand what boater’s need and the importance of community. We are a brand new organisation bringing all our talents together to meet the needs of the London boating community. Our mission:
“Supporting boaters from their first until their last breath”
Our goal, as an independent organisation is to provide both general and emergency services for the London boating community. We do not work with any government-related institutions. We provide both practical and emotional support depending on the needs of the individual. We want our services to be fully accessible to anybody who needs them and payment plans can be negotiated on an individual basis. We feel that people of all ages, backgrounds and needs are equally important and deserve support. We aim to be completely inclusive, for example, supporting new mothers living on the canals to helping older people maintain their boating lifestyle despite having additional needs. Where the government is not meeting the needs of the boating community, we, the people, believe that we must look after each other. We keep the issues of our service user’s confidential (unless we are walking into a life-threatening situation). We do not rely on any other institutions or organisations. As boaters ourselves, we understand how overwhelming life can be on the rivers and canals of London. Many boaters don’t know where to go for help and support and are living in isolation, we aim to connect the community. Skills, qualifications and talents:
• Qualified boat welding
• Cleaning, both industrial and domestic
• Boat carpentry
• Care work
• Rebirthing therapeutic work
• Holistic midwifery
• Interior and exterior painting (including traditional English narrow boat painting and blackening)
• Boat manoeuvring / experienced skipper
Location:
Any boater living in London inside the M25 or 20 miles outside of the M25 can access our services. (When transporting our service user’s boats both in and out of London we can travel as far as the North of England)
We are a cruising crew so do not have a fixed location but can be reached 24/7 on our emergency line for boaters in distress. Services provided:
We are a colourful crew of professionals working hand in hand together. We offer the following services:
Social Support:
• Cleaning, shopping and general household tasks. We strongly believe that an environment that is clean, warm, welcoming and loving will have a beneficial impact on quality of life.
• Palliative/end of life care for boaters wanting to remain on their boats. We want to support boaters to maintain their chosen way of life until their last breath.
• Care for mothers and new born babies. This includes holistic support, midwifery and breastfeeding support, keeping mother, child and the rest of the family healthy before and after the birth. We understand the need to support not only mother and child but father/co-parents and siblings.
• General home care for people living with/recovering from illnesses. This includes tailored care for people with both physical and mental health challenges.
• Rebirthing therapy for any kind of trauma (this includes addiction-related trauma.)
• Care for older and vulnerable people including people with mobility issues and Alzheimer’s Disease. Most care agencies refuse to work on boats due to insurance issues. Older people who have chosen to live their lives on boats are often forced to move into care homes. We want to enable people to continue living their lives as boaters. Interior maintenance for boats:
Fitting windows, fitting wood burners including chimney installation and maintenance, interior welding and ship welding. Replacement and fitting of insulation, fitting of bathrooms, showers, sinks, toilets, flooring, backburners and pipes (boat plumbing), fibreglass roofing, custom interior carpentry and made to measure furniture. Professional indoor and outdoor painting. Access to professional boat electrician working with up to date BSS requirements (Boat Safety Certificate Standards)
Day-to-Day Maintenance:
Filling water tank, fuel, coal, wood delivery, emptying the water ‘potty’ toilets
Boat sitting/Boat Guardianship and Pets:
Live-in guardians for boats to protect against burglary and vandalism. Keeping the boats functional, dry and warm. When boaters are away and need to leave their animals at home we can feed and toilet their pets. Moving boats:
Moving boats both short and long distances to requested locations, mooring them, manoeuvring boats through locks. Emergency services we provide:
• Care work. For example, a boater coming out of hospital without no carer to support them can contact us for help with cleaning, shopping, chopping wood for the burner etc.
• Shopping
• Heating
• Administrative support
• Mediation between boaters and CRT to find solutions.
• Removing and bringing new batteries to the boat and charging them with generator
• Covid support bubbles
Prices:
Some of our prices are set and others can be negotiated depending on the needs of the service user. Payments plans can be negotiated (for example, monthly payments). It is important to us that our services can be accessed by anybody who needs them.
• Welding - £45 per hour
• Moving boats within London - £25 per hour for one person moving a smaller boat
• Moving boats within London - £37 if an additional skipper when two people are required to move a larger boat
• Domestic cleaning - £15 per hour
• Interior and exterior boat painting - £20 per hour
• Blackening - £25 per hour
All other services will be priced on request. The prices for moving boats long distances will be negotiated based on the type of boat, the number of crew needed and the individual circumstances of our service user. Long term goals:
• Connecting the boating community in and around London. We aim to establish healthy, long lasting, supportive and beneficial relationships between boaters of all ages and backgrounds.
• Housing people on boats and helping them find work.
