Welcome
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Wow . What a summer we have had . As restrictions have lifted across the UK more and more people have taken to the water to engage in paddlesport and the excitement of returning to club sessions and competitions has really made paddling on the water the place to be this summer .
As of the end of August , we now have 87,900 members of British Canoeing . I recall only five years ago having less than half this number , and it ’ s positive to see a change in the membership profile with 38 % of members now being female . That ’ s an 11 % increase in just 12 months . Whilst it ’ s good to see a positive change , there is still more to learn in order for us all to ensure paddlesport is made as truly inclusive as possible .
There have been many tangible and positive changes over the past year and as we look to set the strategy for the next four years , I do hope that everyone has taken the opportunity to engage in this process through the online questionnaires and consultations . There has even been an opportunity for those who aren ’ t yet British Canoeing members to engage too , which is a great way for us to understand and gain insight on what nonmembers think British Canoeing needs to provide .
With many more people enjoying staycations this year , it ’ s amazing to speak to others sharing their stories of paddling here in the UK . Whether revisiting old favourites or discovering new places , the
Paddlepoints website has been a great resource for people to both share information but also to seek new places to paddle when on their holidays in the UK too .
In recent weeks , I ’ ve been able to engage with some of our competition paddlers and had the honour of presenting prizes at the British Canoe Polo Club Championships in Nottingham . A few adjustments were made to ensure they were Covid secure , but otherwise it was back to normal with some great close games over the weekend . A new event format too , in a similar style to Rugby 7 ’ s , ensured every team had some great games . After the long break , it was a real pleasure to be there to share it with everyone .
One of the other things I have noticed is a real desire for clubs and local groups to work together to improve links and create more opportunities locally . Working together , recognising skills and sharing information is not only great for our clubs , it ’ s also beneficial for the other people we share the water with .
Support and engagement of our Clear Access Clear Waters campaign has continued . In the last three months there have been 125 river cleans registered ( I ’ m sure there have been more , don ’ t forget to register your river cleans on the
CACW website ). This has included 176 volunteers , who have removed 113 sack / bags of plastic pollution and litter from our waterways . On behalf of our paddling community I thank you all and hope that more are inspired to get involved . Please do share your activity with the rest of us on the new Clear Access , Clear Waters Facebook group
www . facebook . com / groups / clearaccessclearwaters
If like me , you have been closely following and supporting our paddlers at the Olympics and Paralympics , you ’ ll be joining me in sending a huge congratulations to our athletes , coaches and support team plus family and friends for all their commitment and support .
With so much going on , I hope you enjoy reading this month ’ s Canoe Focus and catching up on just a few of the highlights from the past couple of months .
Dee Paterson British Canoeing President
Canoe Focus Late Summer 2021