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Seagull Trust Cruises (formerly Seagull Trust) is a waterway society and Scottish charity. The Trust was formed in 1978 and offers free canal cruising for disabled and disadvantaged persons and groups. It is the largest service provider of its kind within the UK, and run entirely by volunteers. The Seagull Trust was awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2007, the highest award which can be given to a voluntary group, considered on a par with the MBE awarded to individuals. It provides a service from four locations in Scotland. These are Ratho (Edinburgh) on the Union Canal, Falkirk also on the Union Canal, Inverness on the Caledonian Canal, and at Kirkintilloch on the Forth and Clyde Canal. From these locations, it operates eight canal boats, adapted with a lift for wheelchair access, and fitted with galley and toilet. Seven operate daily excursions, one (the ''Marion Seagull'') is adapted as a residential boat for hire to families with a disabled member. The ''Wooden Spoon Seagull'' is fitted out as a floating classroom. These boats are; * The ''MacKay Seagull'' (Ratho) * The ''St John Crusader'' (Ratho - decommissioned. Now named ''Bluebell'') * The ''St John Crusader II'' (Ratho) * The ''St John Edinburgh'' (Ratho) * The ''Barr Seagull'' (Falkirk) * The ''Marion Seagull'' (Falkirk) * The ''Wooden Spoon Seagull'' (Falkirk) (Previously the "Highland Seagull") * The ''Govan Seagull'' (Falkirk) * The ''Highland Cross Seagull'' (Inverness) * The ''Yarrow Seagull'' (Kirkintilloch) * The ''Marjorie Seagull'' (Kirkintilloch) * The Trust also operated The ''Janet Telford'' from Ratho, but this boat was soon outgrown and sold on to the Forth and Clyde Canal Society. ==Origins== The Seagull trust was formed on 21 November 1978 by The Reverend P. Hugh Mackay, MBE, PhD. Rev. Mackay was Minister of the Parish of Torphichen (1927-1960) where he ran Sea Scouts on the Union Canal, and then Minister of Prenmay and Leslie in Gordon to 1972. Then he retired to North Berwick. He died in 1994 in North Berwick. It was during his retirement that he was involved in the formation of the Seagull Trust. At Torphichen in 1947, MacKay resurrected the Ancient order of St John. He was a canal enthusiast who had learned about two other canal projects, one in England, run by Claire Hanmer, who converted a narrow boat for the service of disabled people on the Midland canals, and a project in Wales, the Sunshine Boat, run under the auspices of the Prince of Wales Trust. From the project in Wales, Charles Quant drew attention to the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council (IWAAC) of the realisation that his operation had a previously unforeseen secondary advantage of demonstrating that sections of the canal system regarded as "remainder" canals, were being used to good effect and as such his organisation now could fulfil a dual role of providing a service to disabled people and demonstrate the advantages of canal travel to the wider public. As British Waterways at the time had no obligation to maintain remainder canals in navigable condition, this renewed use of the 'remainder' canal system became the early part of a movement which supported the continued existence of the canals. Mr R.J. Hume OBE, was a friend of Rev. Mackay and a member of IWAAC. He brought the facts of these two projects to the attention of Rev. Mackay, and soon between them they formulated an idea of bringing a similar service to the Scottish Canal system. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Seagull Trust」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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