Upcoming summer events
With the summer paddling season now well underway we just wanted to provide a few updates about upcoming club activities, and some other reminders.
Lido Session Etiquette
We just want to give everyone a a quick reminder before we begin: you’re welcome to try different craft at the Lido, but please remember everything which comes out of the boat store needs to go back in at the end of the evening. Our volunteers have noticed a consistent increase in the number of boats left ‘abandoned’ at the pool side at the end of sessions; which then need to be carried back to the boat store. We would like to remind everyone that when you are done with a boat (either during or at the end of a session) you should return it to the paved area outside of the boat store, and use a sponge to remove any water remaining inside the boat. If you need help lifting a boat then club volunteers will be more than happy to lend a hand, but it’s not fair to expect them to clear up after everyone at the end of a session.
Try Canoe Polo at the Lido
The canoe polo side of the club will be coming to the Lido session on Wednesday 2nd August to run polo taster sessions. If you would like to give Canoe Polo a go then this is your chance! There’s no minimum age or skill requirements; everyone is welcome to have a go, so long as you have a bit of enthusiasm.
Summer Sea kayaking Trips
We’ve got not one, but two, Sea kayaking trips coming up! Firstly we’ll be spending the weekend of the 19th & 20th August paddling in Dorset, and then on 17th September we will be paddling on the Tidal River Thames, here’s a video from one of our previous Thames trips.
End of Summer BBQ
As sad as it is Summer will eventually come to an end, but at least that means you can attend out end of summer BBQ. Our end of summer BBQ and AGM will be in the evening on Tuesday 12th September. We would very much appreciate it if members could attend this if possible, as we have an important amendment to make to the club constitution, which requires a minimum turnout in order to pass. This is also a great chance to socialise with other club members and enjoy some FREE food.
Potential Trip to Slovenia Next Year
We are looking into the possibility of running a whitewater kayaking trip to the Soča Valley in Slovenia, during the summer next year. We last ran one of these trips in 2019 and it was greatly enjoyed by all of those who attended. Slovenia offers a combination of great whitewater and truly spectacular scenery. There are also a wide array of non-kayaking related ways to spend the day (there are many activities to do around Bovec, and popular tourist destinations such as Lake Bled, Postojna Cave, Ljubljana, and Venice are within driving distance); as a group we usually set aside one or two days for non-kayaking activities, but everyone is welcome to spend their time in Slovenia how they please (there’s no obligation to paddle every day). You can see videos from our previous trips in 2019 and 2018 on our Vimeo channel.
At the moment we’re just trying to assess the feasibility of running the trip, and get an idea of how many people might want to come, so we’re not looking for people to commit to anything just yet. Later in the year we’ll try to get those who are interested together and start making plans. If you think you might be interested in a trip to Slovenia, then please speak to Alex Tripp at one of the upcoming Lido sessions, or reply to this email.
Membership renewals (also applies to those paddling as non-members)
It’s the time of year where many people’s club memberships are due for renewal; you should receive an automated email when your membership is due for renewal, though we are aware of a couple of occasions where a notification email was apparently not received. If you have any doubt about when your membership is due then your current membership status can be found on the My Membership page of the website.
Please check your personal details are fully up to date and correct when renewing your membership, it is important that the information we have about you is correct in case we need to contact you or your designated emergency contact about anything. Those paddling as non-members also have to renew their non-member status once per year in order to ensure their information is kept up to date.
