Addlestone Canoe Club is a charity set up to run activities that teach young people and families in our community to enjoy the outdoors through paddlesport and stay safe on the water.
All administrators, coaches and helpers are volunteers working together to achieve our objectives and so much more. The support of our members is instrumental in our success and they make our club a friendly and inclusive place to be. The committee thank our
volunteers for their support.
We have now spent two years in our new building, activities are back to pre-pandemic levels. We now have a new secure app suitable for members’ communications, it is very busy with good information and fits well with our safeguarding objectives.
Behind the scenes the committee review our processes and policies keeping the club in line with the requirements of a modern voluntary group. We have continued to raise funds improving the clubs facilities and have successfully raised an extra £40,000 since the build project enabling us to invest in equipment, tech and training that we need to engage new participants.
The club has achieved so much in the year – here’s just some of the highlights.
- Increased Membership numbers to pre covid levels
- Two Come and Try It Days for the general public
- Four Introductory Courses for the general public
- Regular taster sessions for all
- Car park resurfaced and grass re-laid
- New gates and fencing installed, securing the site
- New race kayaks delivered-enabling new participants to experience and enjoy this discipline, being used by beginner adults and juniors
- Replacement canoes ordered, particularly to service families and youth groups
- New SUPs (stand up paddleboards) delivered, introducing a newly accessible discipline to the community, with ACC being able to teach safe use of this craft for private owners. The SUPs are also very useful for coaches when supervising introductory sessions
- First aid and safeguarding courses run for club volunteers
- Skills training for white water and racing coaches run for club volunteers
- Addlestone Canoe Club nominated as Runnymede Mayor’s charity for 2023/24
- Ran schools and community group sessions including Runnymede
community development scheme sessions - Assisted at the Virginia Water Lake safety day, run by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service – continuing to be involved in promoting safety on our waterways
- Made links with Runnymede Borough Council to offer sessions to Ukrainian families
- Engaged our youth members during school holidays to
assist with clearance of Floating Pennywort (an invasive species), promoting awareness to the local and wider community too by inviting volunteers from Sky and Tribe Outside Group - Working towards two British Canoeing awards –clear access, clear
waters and sports performance - Trips organised to white water rivers (Lake District, Devon, South Wales, North Wales), developing the skills of members
and volunteer coaches. - Flat water trips in Kent and Surrey
- The racing section has continued to attend events with great success for all age groups
- Working towards offering junior Freestyle opportunities
- Working to promote daytime, weekday paddling for retired persons and shift workers
Every week, 50 weeks of the year our volunteers run club sessions and community sessions from March to October.
Feedback from visitors has been really positive and our reputation continues to grow as an inclusive and friendly club providing safe, fun outdoor experiences for all.
After much financial investment in the build we are now in a strong position to invest financially in our people. Keeping membership and equipment usage fees as accessible as possible, Addlestone Canoe Club is working to put on funded training events for our coaches and helpers and create a ‘hardship fund’ to make paddlesport accessible to all.
Many Thanks to our committee, coaches, helpers and ALL of our members, helping Addlestone Canoe Club to meet its objectives.