LVPC Update From the Chair

Changed winter hours The General Committee of the Club has reviewed the recent survey results, and we will move to winter hours of 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm in January. Bank Safety will work in two, 45-minute shifts. The cost of a 90-minute session will be £10 for the Legacy and £15 for the Olympic. We realise that some people will not want to paddle for the full time, or may start late, so we hope that a single fee will keep things simple and encourage more people to paddle through winter. We anticipate keeping these hours in place till the end of February and reverting to 2 hours in March, starting at 6.30 pm. Winter Bank Safety We will continue to work in two shifts but these will be shorter than summer hours. Time on the bankside will be 45 minutes not 1 hour. Shift 1: Arrive onsite no later than 6.45 pm to collect trolleys and radios and be bankside by 6.55 pm. Remember the pumps cannot be turned on until our safety volunteers are in place. If you are late, the whole session will be late too. Shift 2: 7.45 pm, take over on bankside through to …

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Recreational Paddling in December & January

Recreational paddles are organised by Peter Nash and Jon Halden and are are listed for Club Members on SPOND. Please get in touch with Jon Halden at coachinglvpc@gmail.com to be added to the recreational paddling WhatsApp group. These seasonal paddles are a great way to catch up with friends during the Club Christmas break and invariably involve a pub visit! Future Paddle Dates: 15th Dec – Chelmer 21st Dec – Stort 29th Dec – Stour 1st Jan – Lea/Beane 4th Jan – Cam

Christmas Break

Our last Club Night before the Christmas break will be next week, Wednesday December 11th when both courses will be available for 6.30 and 7.30 sessions. We’ll bring you details of our return to Club Nights for the New Year 2025 as soon as we have confirmed water availability.

Christmas Get Together and Meal on 4th December

Details on WebCollect, please book and make your choices by 27th November. Family and friends are most welcome . There will be 6.30 to 7.30 paddling available on both courses, prior to dinner. Join us at the non-paddling event of the year!!

Throwline Rescue Workshop

20th November 6.30-7.30 pm This session will be led by member, Barra Liddy, a trainee Rescue Instructor, together with coach Rob Fleming This will be an opportunity to receive tuition, practise your skills, and sharpen your judgement for some essential rescue techniques. This session is aimed for everyone, whether you consider yourself a rescue pro, or a beginner in paddlesports. There is always room for improvement on accuracy, efficiency and speed of rescues for everyone. Please bring a throwbag with you if you own one. Meet in reception in full kit prepared to swim at 6.20 Booking on WebCollect now priced £5

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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Dealing with incidents during Club Night

Updated guidance for all Club members and volunteers to be aware of:- Whitewater kayaking and rafting are assumed risk activities, and from time-to-time accidents and injuries will occur. Here’s what to do if you or someone else needs first aid: lvpcsafety@gmail.com and  coachinglvpc@gmail.com and Inform the Club Rep for the night.  We need to report incidents both for our own learning and to inform LVWWC. Thank you. ___________

Kayak Cross on Club Night Wednesday 19th June

Don’t forget that we will be running an Entry Level Kayak Cross event on Wednesday 19th on the Legacy. It will run between 19:30 and 21:30 for anyone who has limited experience wanting to try it out! Check out the details in this week’s Members’ Newsletter for further information. 

We Are Ten!

As the resident club at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre, we celebrate our 10th anniversary this month, joining the small band of clubs around the world that have successfully created a thriving Olympic Legacy.  Created following the success of the 2012 London Games, we now have more than 400 members of all ages who take part in a wide range of paddlesports – recreational whitewater, race rafting, freestyle, flatwater racing as well as slalom and the new Olympic discipline of Kayakcross.  We are one of the largest and most diverse paddlesport clubs in the UK. We’re proud that we offer a welcoming community experience at Lee Valley and the atmosphere on Wednesday evenings is buzzing, especially as we enter the summer months. As a Talent Club Partner with Paddle UK, we offer a route into the sport for youngsters keen to try slalom. We hope that some will go on to achieve competitive success and represent their country, but for us the most important outcome is that families enjoy their time in paddlesport. We have several events planned to celebrate our 10th birthday: 12 May, 10th Birthday Party paddle on the River Lee. Meet at 10 am at Hartham Leisure Centre, Hertford. A relaxed …

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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.