About the project
Holme Pierrepoint Canoe Club (HPPCC) is a local sporting organisation with a long history, well established ties into Nottinghamshire communities, and strong connections to British Canoeing. Being based at the National Water Sports Centre means they have a variety of coaching and competing programmes across all levels of paddlesports. Despite this, however, it is not currently known what impact taking part in paddling has on the mental health, physical health, and psychological well-being of participants.
Engagement in paddling has the potential to positively support an individual’s mental health and well-being. Different paddlers use their participation to support their mental health in different ways and this project would like to understand how this works, and how they can support more paddlers at the club to improve their mental health. Some disciplines within paddlesports, especially those involving white-water or more challenging environments, come with their own mental health challenges. This is notably, but not exclusively, the case for competition disciplines. Turning to physical health outcomes, paddling has issues with pain, injury, health and well-being. In particular this is related to impact injuries, over stressing joints, water-borne illnesses and pollution. Drawing attention to, and starting a critical conversation about, these issues would be useful to HPPCC. Therefore, it is important that we understand how the mental and physical health benefits of paddling can be maintained and enhanced.
This research placement will begin to look at each of these areas together in a broad initial investigation of participant well-being at HPPCC. Together, this should provide a broad overview of the benefits of paddlesports at HPPCC, which can be used to increase the involved of people from local communities who could benefit from taking part.
The project will last for 6-8 weeks.
For more information on this exciting opportunity please see the information on the website https://ufncollaboratory.ac.uk/paddling-at-holme-pierrepont/
The club are really excited by the opportunities that this gives to examine how paddling can support paddlers mental wellbeing, and hopefully will give useful information for the future.
Good luck if you choose to apply.
Kind regards
Dawn