We are Engaging |

With lots of people in the Community

We have long been committed to getting people involved and working with organisations to ensure this happens, in 2021, we reached out to over 22 different organisations.

British Canoeing recognised the effort we a make by awarding Neal Underwood the 2021 Engagement award for The Sharks, this is what we did in 2021, we will roll most of these over in to 2022 and add a lot more, because communicating and engaging is the key to our success, the more people we reach the better we can become.

Our Partnerships

Our partnership was an affiliated member of British Canoeing, the Sport’s governing body, enables us to be involved in the competitive disciplines, provides us with insurance and they support us in running events and by providing the sit-on-tops we use at Osterley Park, loaning us portable paddling machines and helping us establish our award winning Satellite Clubs. We encourage all our member to also join British Canoeing.

We work alongside the National Trust at Osterley Park running our popular family paddling sessions from April through to October. Help support this partnership by joining the National Trust.

3. Three Bridges Primary School – We run an after school canoeing club with School and teach core-time PE sessions during the Summer and Autumn Terms – Ofsted Report was outstanding, We also run our Southall Sessions from the School and are exploring how we can develop our partnership further, and have a permanent base on the site

Old Oak Common and Park Royal Development Corporation – One of our strategic partners in creating a canoe club based in NW10 (Harlesden/Park Royal). They have helped in a number of ways including funding, the partnership is developing as we are looking at how we can have a permanent built base in the area as part of the regeneration programme.

Catalyst Housing – Another regeneration partner, we were working with them to convert disused garages and undercrofts into a community based canoe club with wider community facilities, at Southall base, unfortunately not everything works out as you hope and we left this project as we did not consider what was being proposed a good use of public money and would not provide suitable facilities for us.

Ealing Council – Our Partnership with Ealing Council has more than one string to it. They are partners in the conversion of the Undercrofts with Catalyst Housing, we also manage their London Youth Games Canoeing Team, which has won medals in recent years. Ealing Council has also given financial support in the past and has supported us in a number of projects in a practical way.

The Regeneration projects in Southall and NW10, are both in receipt of money from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, so indirectly we have a partnership there as well. The Southall project is also in receipt of money from Sport England. London Sport, which is the regional office of Sport England has also been very helpful in supporting us both financially to and practically, to kick start some of our projects.

Colne Valley Regional Park Authority – we have started working with the Park authority to remove Floating Pennywort from the Colne Valley, which includes the River Colne and the Grand Union Canal, through which the Colne flows, which is what creates or Slalom facilities at Harefield. As well as working with the Colne Valley Park, this project attracted attention from the BBC’s Countryfile Programme and they came down to Harefield to do a feature on the programme to remove Floating Pennywort.

Shepperton Slalom Canoe Club, whom we are working with to bring competitive canoeing back after the Covid-19 by running a ranking slalom at their home on May 29th and 30th,

Let’s Leap Sports Academy , for whom we run classes in their Holiday Clubs

Free to Be Kids – a charity providing opportunities for youngsters

Let’s Go Southall, Sport England funded organisation charged with getting the people of Southall Active, we are partnering them in running taster sessions on the canal in Southall

Isleworth Town School – working with the school to provide in-term activities and holiday clubs at our Osterley Park site

The Learning Tree, running holiday activities for youngsters in Hounslow at Osterley Park.

Sybil Elgar School for autistic youngsters – we provide kayaking sessions at Osterley Park for curriculum time PE activities.

Canal and River Trust – we work with C&RT on a number of projects to get people involved with the Canal, these vary from come and try it activities alongside their events to helping with litter picks.

Hillingdon Council – as well as managing their London Youth Games Canoeing Team, we have run many projects alongside them, including running sessions for young carers. We have also attended events, activity days, come and try it sessions.

We manage the London Youth Games Team for the London Borough of Harrow.

As well as the London Youth Games team for the London Borough of Brent and they provide space for us to store our container load of boats at Harlesden/Park Royal in NW10 next to the canal.

Scouts – we have been visited by a number of Scout groups from across West London – resulting in us creating some Scout sessions for next year, where Scouts will be able to attend to achieve their Scout Canoeing Badges

Our Barn and organisation that helps youngsters with special needs transition to adult hood.

Working with Barratt Homes, to provide a community canoeing hub on one of their housing developments in Hayes in the London Borough of Hillingdon, this has come about through our active involvement in both the Hayes Town Partnership and the Hayes Canal Partnership, organisations that bring community, businesses together to improve the facilities and opportunities for all stake holders. (that is another couple of partnerships we could add on the list).

The Clancy Group supported us running the Division 4 Slalom at Harefield, by providing access to their site for car parking, camping, and the base for Control, they also donated portable toilet facilities for the weekend.