Eliza Botham studied the arts and has a first class honours degree in Design for Learning. During the 1990s she achieved a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) whilst working for British Waterways in various roles including as a Project Manager and Service Manager.
Eliza has over 30 years experience working on heritage projects related to waterways and in 2008 set up her own business ‘Ice House Heritage Interpretation’. Eliza has project managed large interpretation projects such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly Heritage Lottery Fund) ‘Heritage Working Boats Project’, to restore 10 working boats, refurbishment of the Anderton Boat Lift exhibition, outdoor interpretation with community artists at Bugsworth Basin, an interpretive and education plan for the Grantham Canal and many varied heritage interpretation and education projects involving films, a pioneer audio trail and STEM resources (science, technology, engineering and maths).
Early involvement setting up new learning resources and training for Canal & River Trust Explorers Education Programme led to a long-term association with the project. Eliza became Project Manager for Stourport Forward, leading on the restoration of Heritage Working Boat Bramble until she took up additional work to lead the Explorers programme to establish a new Explorers Education Volunteer Team at Diglis Island and Fish Pass (formerly Heritage Lottery Fund project ‘Unlocking the Severn’).
Currently developing and leading a team of around 30 Explorers Education Volunteers, Eliza manages educational visits at Newbury, Devizes, South Wales, Worcester, Hatton and Stourport on Severn and other special locations. She has recently developed a new classroom and Educational offer at Hatton.
