Coaching

Posts and Pages containing content relevant to coaching, coaching courses and coached courses at LVPC.

Winter Paddling

Following a successful trial last year, we will be reducing the paddling hours again this year from November 26th for the winter months until March 4th 2026. There will be one session of 90 mins on each course, from 7pm to 8.30pm. The cost will be as last year, £10 for the Legacy, £15 for the Olympic sessions. There will be a complete break from 17 Dec to 7 January inclusive,  so the last session of this year is the night of our Christmas Get Together on December 10th. (Save the date!) The first session in 2026 will be January 14th . Reducing our winter hours worked well for us last year and certainly contributed to getting our finances in order. We will, of course, be grateful for members’ help with bank safety, which will run in 2 sessions of 45 minutes.

AGM 2025: Chair’s Report on the Year

At our 2025 Club AGM, Jonathan Males reported on the 2024/25 year, thanking all those who had contributed to the Club’s ongoing success. ” I’m pleased to report on a successful year for our club, that has been enabled by the club members who volunteer to keep sessions safe and coach other members to grow in confidence, by dedicated committee members who give their time and expertise, and by deepening collaboration with our key partners Paddle UK, Lee Valley Whitewater Centre, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, and local clubs such as Whoosh Explore, Shepperton, and Viking Kayak Club. I will leave the detailed Financial Report to our capable Treasurer Marie Bauerova, who has done a magnificent job managing our ingoings and outgoings, supported by our Finance Sub Committee (Carl Upsall, Mark Corti, and myself). I am delighted that our financial situation is stabilising and I’m confident that with continued attention to costs we can maintain our viability. For example, we will again run shorter ‘winter hours’ from December to April, and you will be asked to approve a small regular increase in annual membership fees. Whilst cheaper access to the whitewater course is one benefit of club membership, I hope …

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End of Year Report from the Chair, AGM 2024

LVPC Chair’s Report to AGM September 2024 Jonathan Males, Chair Let me start by saying thank you to our club committee and our members who have volunteered for bank safety over the past twelve months. Without your contributions the club would cease to function. A special thank you to Pam Phillips, who continues to be the beating heart of the club. Thanks also to Sunny Rhodes who steps down as Welfare Officer, with Irina Medunyak taking over this important role. We carried out a member survey in January 2024 and this has guided the committee in decisions and planning. As reminder, here’s what you said: 6. Cost and Membership Stability. The cost of living is impacting us all, and several members were concerned about possible price rises. Yet some also said they would be willing to pay more, because the club represents great value to them. Recreational paddling beyond the whitewater centre has taken off this year, thanks to the efforts of Peter and Helen Nash and our collaboration with Whoosh Explore. There are plenty of hidden paddling gems in the east and south-east and I recommend these trips for a relaxing and sociable day out. The club supported the …

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New Slalom Course: May/June

New Slalom Skills course starting 8th May Chris Wood is offering a 4 week slalom skills course for club members. Ideal to fine-tune your boat control and confidence. 8, 15, 22 May and 5 June.  Bookable on WebCollect.

Freestyle Coaching Opportunities

Two courses begin this week with Mike Shaw,  freestyle coach Booking on webcollect now _______________ Legacy Freestyle Coaching  6.30-7.30 4 x weeks development course: 17th, 24th April, 1st,  8th May £120 (4 week period)  For Legacy assessed paddlers who have a roll (this doesn’t need to be 100% but helpful to have a reasonable roll). _______________ Olympic Freestyle Coaching  7.30-8.30  4 x weeks development course: 17th, 24th April, 1st,  8th May £120 (4 week period) –  For Olympic assessed paddlers who have a reasonable roll. _______________

New Courses On Offer in April, May and June

Booking on webcollect now Legacy Coaching 2 x weeks with Will (£30 a session) (24th Apr / 1st May) + (22nd / 29th May) + (5th / 12th June) Will is training up to become a Stadium Leader and will be offering his skills for 2 x Legacy assessed paddlers who are looking to develop and gain skills to paddle the course with confidence. _______________ Legacy Bank Safety Training – with coach Jon 5th June – 6.30 – 8pm 24th July – 6.30 – 8pm No charge _______________ White Water Essentials (Introduction) with Stadium Safety Certificate with coach Pav 7.30 -8.30 pm 8th May / 15th May / 22nd May / 29th May / 5th June (bank safety) 12th June This course is a 6 week course for £150 which includes one week of bank safety training and stadium white water award certification. No pre-assessment required if you are (discover award – manoeuvre a boat around obstacles easily, able to do a capsize rescue with neoprene spray deck, can control the boat on edge). _______________ Legacy Freestyle Coaching with Mike Shaw 6.30-7.30 4 x weeks development course: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th June £120 (4 week period) Legacy assessed paddlers who …

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Spring Message from the Chair

Now that the evenings are getting lighter and we are seeing a welcome increase in activity on club nights, I thought it was a good time to give club members an update. Club nightWednesday evening at Lee Valley continues to be an important focus for the club. It’s great to see the variety of activities on the water, and big thanks to club members who volunteer on the reception desk, as coaches and to cover bank safety. It’s your support that allows ALL members to enjoy paddling on club nights. We want to keep sharing the load with bank safety, so please volunteer at least once every two months. Remember that you get a free paddle in return! And a general request – Club Members vary widely in ability and confidence on the water, so please be courteous to those who are less experienced. As it gets busier, please book and pay  online to avoid missing out on a paddling spot. We have upper limits for safety reasons and can’t exceed them. We anticipate maintaining two hours of Legacy and Olympic water till the end of May, and add a third hour of Olympic water in June. Whitewater course hire …

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New Courses for Club Members on WebCollect

There are a number of new courses for Club Members now bookable on WebCollect. We are offering slalom, freestyle, Legacy introduction and Legacy development white water courses  and, of course, bank safety training  sessions. In short, something for everyone ! Check on WebCollect and book something before the places are taken.

Four Week Slalom Course

From Slalom Coach, Irina Hi all, we’ve added another 4-week slalom course in April. This time it’s a progressive course, open to Olympic-assessed Club Members who previously attended slalom sessions with the Club at the bottom of Olympic and feel ready to practice on the main part of the course for half of the session time. All Wednesdays in April, ie 3rd, 12th, 17th, 24th   6:30-7:30 pm. The content is tailored and adapted to each group, with emphasis on accuracy and control of break-outs and ferry glides (upstream gates) and precision when moving downstream (offset gates).Price £140 includes Olympic water, boat hire and coaching fees.

Rolling Clinics

There are still some spaces for the rolling clinics to be held at the John Warner Sports Centre in Hoddesdon on 27th Jan, 3rd and 24th Feb for Adults (limited)  and Juniors . Details and booking on WebCollect.  

LVPC Member Survey

LVPC Member Survey – January 2024 Thank you to the 146 club members who responded to our first ever club survey.This represents about 50% of our adult paddling membership so this is a good response level. The committee wanted to share some key messages with you, and we’ll come back with further actions once we’ve had more time to discuss options. First up, it’s clear from the feedback that you value and appreciate the club, the opportunities it offers, and the growing sense of a paddling community. 95% of you would recommend the club to a friend. Thank you for the messages of support, and Pam was suitably embarrassed at your kind words such as ‘Thank you for all thevolunteers making it happen! Especially Pam! Such a hero!’ We learned that about two thirds of our members learned to paddle elsewhere, most often with another canoe club. Less than 5% joined the club as complete novices. The majority (66%) of you do not see use of the lake as important, so we need to be highly focused in how we use and pay for any activities on the lake. 81% are active at Lee Valley Whitewater Centre outside of club night, with 60% paddling ‘public’ whitewater sessions at …

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