Canoe Marathon

Posts and Pages containing content relevant to the paddle sport’s discipline of Marathon at LVPC.

LVPC 2025 Year End Message from the Chair, Jonathan Males

Dear Club Members I really enjoyed meeting so many of you at this week’s Christmas meal. The paddling session beforehand reminded me of what makes this a great club – people young and old paddling freestyle, slalom, race rafting and simply having fun on whitewater. As we come to the end of the year and a pause in LVWWC based activities, I wanted to acknowledge and say thank you to: *All of those club members who have volunteered – to cover bank safety, welcome members at reception, coach fellow club members, organise trips and competitions, tidy the sheds, update websites, manage our finances, post on social media… *David Redington and his team at Lee Valley Whitewater Centre, for the welcome partnership and collaboration.*Pam Phillips and all the committee for your work behind the scenes.* Martin Smyth, one of the club’s founding Directors, who will be standing down in 2026. Some Club Highlights of 2025 *The summer inflatables session, where we discovered that pink flamingos are fine to go down the legacy course, but that certain other inflatable items are not (IYKYK !).*The hotdog event, where I laughed more than I have laughed for a long time.* Hosting the successful British Open …

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Report: AquaPaddle 28th September

The first AquaPaddle took place Sunday 28th September on the River Lee from the White Water Centre. 10 paddlers tackled 5k in a variety of craft and with a range of skill sets, with some racing, some relaxing, some litter picking….but enjoyed by all. Our thanks to Martin and Reuben for safety cover and their organisation. This was a first for LVPC and it is hoped that these paddles will take place monthly. Look out for the dates and joining instructions for future AquaPaddle events…come and join us and still have time for a WW paddle afterwards.

AquaPaddle on 28th September 2025

AquaPaddle is coming to Lee Valley on Sunday, 28th September! The Club is hosting an AquaPaddle 5km event open, on the Lee Navigation canal to all Club Members in any craft* on Sunday 28th September. Meet at 09:30 to be on the water for 10am. Anyone wanting to paddle or volunteer needs to register on www.aquapaddle.org to get your number/register your qualifications etc and please then also send an email to Reuben (reuben.sweetman@gmail.com) who will arrange to get you registered for the event. Spectators are more than welcome and we hope all of you (i.e. paddlers, volunteers and spectators) can join us afterwards for an – entirely optional – celebratory bite to eat and something to drink in the Whitewater Centre cafe. *You don’t even have to bring your own craft! LVPC’s Flatwater Racing group can potentially supply a range of suitable craft. If this is of interest, please email Reuben at reuben.sweetman@gmail.com (ideally WELL before the event) so we can try to accommodate. We look forward to seeing you all.

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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