The Charity Commission yesterday confirmed the registration of the Canal and River Trust as a charity.

Registration means that the Trust – the new incarnation of the former quango British Waterways and the result of the single largest transfer of a public body into the charitable sector – can now accept donations to fund its work.

The Trust’s board recently voiced its frustration at the time it was taking to reach key milestones – one of which was charity registration.

This morning, deputy chair Lynne Berry said: “The creation of the Canal and River Trust is one of the most exciting projects in the charitable sector at the moment and will hold in trust for the nation one of our most extraordinary national treasures. 

“Charitable registration means that we are now almost ready to start raising income from charitable sources, to add to the waterways’ solid foundation of Government and self-earned income.”

The next major step is to gain Parliamentary approval for the transfer of assets, expected in the next couple of months.