Welcome
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Welcome to the January edition of Canoe Focus .
I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and active festive season and year end . I trust also that your New Year resolutions were to follow the lead from British Canoeing ’ s new plan to ‘ paddle better , paddle more and paddle safer ’. Let ’ s make it a brilliant year for paddlers .
I am always struck by both the breadth of our paddling community on the one hand ( so many disciplines , styles , boats , groups , contexts etc .) and the coherence and common values on the other . We are united by our love of the outdoors and our respect for the environment . This edition demonstrates this perfectly .
The breadth of our community could not be better illustrated than in the features this month . Our # ShePaddles ambassador Saira Is-Haq gives an eloquent expression of what paddling means to her and the freedom it brings . Our feature on Will Behenna and his development of SIP ( Seated Inclusive Paddleboarding ) shows the determination to overcome adversity driven by the love of , and desire to be on , the water . As we prepare to host the World Championships in Slalom at Lee Valley in September , which are also the Olympic qualifying event for Paris 2024 we explore the world of elite paddling . These are but three of the many brilliant examples of our community in action .
The next year will be a big year for our campaigns . So let us also make a resolution to press home even more firmly our desire for Clear Access and Clear Waters . We have a right to be able to paddle in more places and to expect the water quality and environments that we enjoy to be clean and safe .
We shall be stepping up our activity this year to get the message across . A key event is going to be held in parliament in June 2023 when we shall be encouraging the political parties to put commitment to supporting our aims in their manifestos . More places to paddle , cleaner water to paddle in and sustainable environments should be a right . It ’ s not much to ask for . The photos from our 2022 competitions reviewed here illustrate perfectly just how awesome and diverse those environments are .
We have recently launched our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and I want to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to work with us to ensure that we provide the most welcoming and inclusive environment into which we welcome new paddlers .
We have begun 2023 on the front foot with record membership numbers , a full plan to serve our community of paddlers and a degree of financial robustness in these tough times that will permit us to continue to invest in areas that are valued by our members and the community we serve . The Stronger Together Fund is one illustration of the way we are seeking to invest in our collective future . The support from our sponsors and from our members is putting us in a great place and despite the inflationary pressure we are facing we remain committed to ensuring that your support to us is affordable .
I hope that 2023 brings some great paddling for you .
John Coyne
Professor John Coyne CBE Chair , British Canoeing
Canoe Focus Early Spring 2023