The Sharks are coming to Thamesmead
From Bank Holiday Monday May 5th, The Sharks will be operating from the Boathouse at Southmere Lake, Thamesmead. And what a plan we have …
Bank Holiday Monday 5th May
We will start our new adventure with a free come and try it day, we will be onsite from 11am to 3pm and want to meet as many people as possible. We will have Kayaks and Canoes available for you to try and there will be no cost on the day. This is the launch of something special. Check out our activity day from 2024.
And Beyond …
From our launch event we intend to be a Thamesmead on regular days as we work with the local community to create a fantastic locally based canoe club serving the residents of Thamesmead and beyond. Including a variety of activities to suit what you want. Including …
Family Recreation Sessions
We will host family fun, recreations sessions every weekend, both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. These will be causal sessions where you can take canoes or kayaks out on your own for fun, we will of course have instructors available to help you and we will have safety cover on the water.
Lessons and Sessions
On Weekday evenings and Saturday mornings we will have regular lessons for people who want to learn to canoe and kayak properly, these will lead to you being able to join our regular paddling sessions either for fitness or because you want to enjoy the fun of competing. Competitions are for all ages and all abilities, they are primary fun, even if you aim for the top.
Competition
There will be opportunities to race in different types of competition, we will provide the kit and the training, and it is for everyone. The Sharks are proud to have both the oldest competitive paddler; Richard Davis at 87-years-old and the Youngest Kiyan Zand Lashani at just 7-years-old!
So no excuses, come along, get active and have fun. We have some amazing coaches with a lot of experience and we have paddlers who have made it to international teams. So why not come and join us, no experience is required and you won’t need to buy an expensive kit. Get in touch email: Thamesmead@thesharks.org.uk or call/text 07951 770241.
As well as hosting some fun events in Thamesmead we often travel to events further afield, we have even been to America as well as events in Europe, we regularly go to more local events in the UK though. We have specialities in the following disciplines …
Wild Water Racing
The Sharks are London’s premier Wild Water Racing Club, we regularly figure in the top 5 in Britain. We have homegrown international paddlers. Wild Water Racing is an exhilarating sport, but don’t worry if you have never done it before, we start of on gentle streams and as you get more confident then we can fins more challenging water for you to experience.
Picture Fiona Singleton
Slalom
One of only two clubs operating tin the London area that develops slalom paddlers, slalom is an Olympic Sport and you never know just how far you could go? We will establish a permanent flat water course for beginners and for practice at Southmere, whilst we work to establish other more challenging sites in the locality.
Joining in a team race 
Marathon
For those who prefer a bit of distance. Ranking Marathons start at 2 miles for youngsters and 13 miles for the top-flight paddlers with various distances in between, as you progress you race longer races. There are also some non-ranking challenges including the 125 mile Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. We have a wealth of marathon racing experience in the Club, with paddlers who have raced the infamous DW (Devizes to Westminster). Last year we had a paddler racing in a 20k Marathon race in Amsterdam!
Set your own challenge.
Sprint
Southmere Lake at Thamesmead lends itself to a Sprint Club, in fac we will be the only club with our very own Sprint Lake, so we are expecting great things. Sprint races take place over distances of 200 metres and 500 metres.
The Sharks have experience in Sprinting and are ready to take on the big clubs and with your help we can become Britain’s number one Sprint Club, make Thamesmead proud come and help us achieve and at the same time achieve something special for yourself.
And Much, much more to come …
This is just the start, we can get these activities up and running from day one, we will add so much more over time, including from this Summer Open Water Swimming at Birchmere Lake, along with this we will work with other local clubs and introduce Triathlon activities. Next year we will start a canoe polo team, canoe polo is an exciting fast ball game played in boats.
After School Clubs
We will run after school clubs, we would like to link these with schools, so if your school is interested, please do get in touch. Call/text on 07951 770241 or email: Thamesmead@thesharks.org.uk.
Partnerships
The Sharks has built it success through working with partners, and we are very pleased to be working with Peabody Housing on this project, however, we are always looking for more partners, to help us grow, to reach more people and to excel. Can you help? Do you want to work with us to improve what we can offer? The Sharks are a not-for-profit organisation, we aim to provide affordable opportunities for people to have fun ad to reach their full potential. We need your help to succeed, so please do get in touch and help us build something very special in Thamesmead.
Call/text on 07951 770241 or email: Thamesmead@thesharks.org.uk.
Published 29th March 2025