Happy new year and all that sort of thing.
In this here new year newsletter we have the following items for your delectation.
1. EaZylaunch – we’ve got work to do!
2. We are a Quality Club
3. British rafting shenanigans at the Worlds
4. ALL volunteer online meeting Tuesday January 27th 6pm
5. Has anyone got one of these bad boys?
1. EaZylaunch – we’ve got work to do!
Ok, this is the big one. We are so excited to announce this. We said at the AGM that inclusion is going to be a major objective for the club, well:
The club has managed to secure a £10,250 pledge from Sports England that we have to match via crowd funding from the paddle and local community. It is to purchase an EaZylaunch system to make it easier for everyone — especially wheelchair users — to get in and out of their kayaks.
No more rolling in duck poo!
We are starting a crowd funding campaign on 1st Feb 2026 and would appreciate it if all members could help towards this but more importantly spread the word into their community.
On the 1st Feb it will go live and we have 8 weeks to raise the funds. Please look out for the link on this date and donate if possible.
For more information get in touch with Amanda (CCd on this email). Follow this link https://www.ez-dock.com to find out about the EaZylaunch.
2. We are a Quality Club
You heard me, we are now a Quality Club. I printed the certificate out and stuck it on the notice board, so they can’t take it back.
It’s an important process that means all the behind the scenes work in updating and creating new policies, as well as how well we are doing as a club in general, has been acknowledged by the governing body.
Well done everybody involved.
3. British rafting shenanigans
Back in December, we sent a team of 19 Holme Pierrepont Canoe Club members out to the World Rafting Championships in Malaysia. The team consisted of 4 teams racing: Open Men, Open Women, U23 men, and Masters Men categories joined by Matt E & Joel supporting these teams throughout the week long event, and Matt F there as an official IRF judge.
All 4 teams raced their hearts out across the 4 raft race disciplines: Sprint, Head To Head, Slalom & Downriver. The standout performance came from our Open Women team who finished the week as World Head To Head champions, silver medalists in Slalom and finishing off with as Overall Silver medal.
Our team results were;
U23 Men (Eddy Williams, Will Jones, Emily Stutt, Grace Shardlow) : 7th overall (6th Sprint, 6th H2H, 8th Slalom, 5th Downriver)
Open Ladies (Beth Kirby, Sammi Middleton, Stacie Charlton, Steph Roberts) : 2nd overall (4th Sprint, 1st H2H, 2nd Slalom, 4th Downriver)
Open Men (Paul Gill, Jacob Handley-Gill, Steve Bellamy, Paddy McNulty) : 15th (16th Sprint, 14th H2H, 13th Slalom, 16th Downriver)
Masters Men (Steve Butterfield, Pete Wortley, Simon Hales, Jenny Laud) : 9th Overall (7th Sprint, 7th H2H, 10th Slalom, 9th Downriver
Huge well done from all of us at the club, we are so proud of all the hard work you put in to growing the sport.
4. ALL volunteer online meeting Tuesday January 27th 6pm
Please, please, please if you are a club coach, volunteer, welfare officer, section lead, trustee and future volunteer I need you.
As we hit the final straight of the Standards for Deployment drive I want to ensure we are all working to the same goal.
I’m going to cover a few topics including: Objectives, DBS, safeguard + code of conduct training, deployment, risk assessments, trips, purchasing and development planning. It will all become clear, I just need you to log on at 6pm on the 27th.
5. Has anyone got one of these bad boys?
The metal cabinet in the compound needs replacing. I’m after something a bit thinner to free up space for some more kit.
Current one is 120 cm wide by 185 cm tall. Maybe 60 cm wide by the same height or taller would be great.
It needs to be tough (weather resilient) and lockable (or tough enough so I can stick a hasp and staple on). If you or your work has one they are willing to donate let me know.
Something like this would be the bees knees.
Stay safe out there
Andrew