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Fundraiser for Shropshire canal collapse victims re-opens with people still wanting to donate after total passes £100,000

A fundraiser for the victims of Whitchurch's canal collapse has been reopened with people still wanting to donate after the total passed £100,000.

By Dominic Robertson
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The GoFundMe page was set up by Paul and Anthony Smith-Storey after the catastrophic failure on the stretch of the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch on December 22.

The collapse opened up a 50-metre chasm which swallowed up two canal boats, and left another beached and teetering above the hole, leaving the owners of all three homeless.

The fundraiser closed on Thursday (January 1) having reached a staggering £100,000 since it was set up on the day of the collapse.

'Swallowed up' - the dramatic aftermath of an enormous sinkhole that swallowed up three narrowboats in Whitchurch.
The scene in Whitchurch after a huge sinkhole swallowed two narrowboats. Photo: Tim Thursfield

But a day later the page was reopened after its organisers said people were still wanting to help those impacted by the shocking events of December 22.

The fundraiser was specifically launched to help the three people whose boats were directly impacted: Bob Wood, Anthony Fletcher and Paul Stowe.

Writing on the fundraising page Paul said: "Anthony and myself love the community on the canals, they have been wonderful to us and with your help we would love to help the three boats caught up in the breach. Although lots of boats have been affected the boat owners on these three boats have lost everything: their home, clothes, belongings."

Paul and Anthony from Narrowboat Life Unlocked wished everyone a happy new year as they thanked donors for contributing to the fundraiser.
Paul and Anthony from Narrowboat Life Unlocked set up the fundraiser

Paul said that once the page is ended the money will be split three ways and paid into the accounts of the three affected boaters.

Paul and Anthony run a popular YouTube channel called Narrowboat Life Unlocked.

Paul explained that after closing the page at £100,000 yesterday a number of people had been in touch saying they still wanted to donate and asking how they could now it had ended.

He said: "To reach £100,000 is phenomenal and we thought we would put a deadline to it but we have had so many people getting in touch saying 'we want to donate but it has closed, how can we donate?' So we thought we might as well open it for a few days and anything extra will help all three of them."