Britain’s Ottilie Robinson-Shaw won gold in the women’s C1 and K1, while Harry Price took silver in the men’s K1, at the Canoe Freestyle European…
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Latest Updates
Join us for the Paralympics watch party picnic
Paddle UK and Holme Pierrepont Country Park are joining together for ‘Picnic at Pierrepont’ on the last weekend of the Paralympic Games. On Saturday 7…
Kristina Medovcikova to depart Paddle UK
After eight years, canoe sprint podium coach Kristina Medovcikova is set to depart Paddle UK to return to her native Slovakia. Kristina, who made history…
Paris Paralympics 2024: Your Paracanoe Team
Athletes from our world-leading paracanoe team are just days away from arriving at the Paralympic village in preparation for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.…
Six medals have been awarded to athletes representing Great Britain at the Fisu World University Championships Canoe Sports, in Portugal. The event, which took place…
Why greater access could lead to cleaner rivers
Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment at Paddle UK, explains how by increasing access to our rivers it could also make them cleaner. At…
Paddler Spotlight: How Wey Kayak Club and The Samson Centre are empowering people with MS
In this month’s Paddler Spotlight, we caught up with Wey Kayak Club who have been working with The Samson Centre for MS to provide kayak…
Paracanoe is a thrilling sport that sees athletes sprint for 200m. The sport requires more than strength. It also includes sharp techniques in paddling, balance…
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Author: barrywade
Supporting Paddlers
Supporting paddlers and paddling is core to Paddle UK membership. Individual On the Water membership allows paddlers to access a waterway’s licence and third-party liability insurance. Also, paddlers enjoy a range of fantastic specific offers and opportunities. All of this comes at great value, costing less than £1 a week. If these elements were sourced externally the costs would be much higher for the same level of cover and benefits. But not only that, membership fees contribute to much, much, more… What does membership money contribute towards Income generated by membership fees is reinvested back into supporting projects that benefit…
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion
Paddle UK is committed to ensuring everyone is able to access and enjoy paddlesports, regardless of their identity, background or circumstances, whether they wish to paddle recreationally, represent their country on the world stage, or give back to the community through coaching or volunteering.
Supporting Clubs and Paddling Centres
Clubs are a major source of paddling activity, whether you are new to paddling or you are into competition. A core part of Paddle UK’s work is to support around 400 clubs, helping them to take advantage of the benefits of being part of our club affiliation recognition scheme. This scheme applies to clubs in England, with similar recognition schemes run by our colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Only affiliated clubs are listed on our website Services Lookup, or on Go Paddling, our recreational paddling website. Also, PaddleBot will only guide you towards affiliated clubs. This is because…
Awards and Qualifications
The British Canoeing Awarding Body is the independent qualifications and training body for Paddle UK and the national associations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is the only Awarding Body for paddlesport activity in the UK. It believes in a participant-led approach when creating and enabling experience from which people will enjoy, learn and develop through paddlesport. We ensure the experiences are delivered in an individualised way that also supports the inherent social aspects of the sport and fosters a sense of a paddling community. We believe that through this paddlers will achieve success; this success being focused on…
World Leading Training
Paddle UK offers world class quality training under the brand name of Paddles Up Training. You can find out more about Paddles Up Training courses by asking PaddleBot or searching the Paddle UK website. What is Paddles Up Training? Paddles Up Training supports the development of paddlers to achieve their goals. This ranges from getting into a boat or on a board for the first time to becoming a Coach and supporting other paddlers. As such, we have over 40 years’ experience of providing paddlesports training and qualifications. We are the largest provider of British Canoeing Awarding Body Qualifications and…
Winning Medals on the Global Stage
Paddle UK supports the most talented athletes in the Olympic disciplines of Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross, Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe to perform and win medals at the highest level, working towards Olympic and Paralympic success. Meet our Paracanoe athletes here Meet our Slalom and Kayak Cross athletes here Meet our Sprint athletes here Paddle UK operates two fully supported centralised WCP training environments through its two High Performance Centres. The National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham is the home for the Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe programmes The London 2012 Olympic Venue Lee Valley White Water Centre hosting the Canoe…
Nurturing Athlete Talent
The England Talent Programme launched in April 2013. It aims to develop a world leading talent infrastructure for athletes throughout England. It is led and managed by Paddle UK and funded by Sport England. The Programme’s Purpose To support talented athletes, coaches and clubs to be the best they can be. To support success in paddling and life To have a positive impact on all those who pass through the programme. Investment and support of promising young athletes remains crucial to the continued success of our sport. The England Talent Programme is passionate about developing athletes not only to become…
International Events and BCE
Paddle UK has delivered a number of international events in the UK to showcase the sport on the biggest stage. These events include: Lee Valley White Water Centre, built for the London 2012 Olympic Games, played host to the 2015 and 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, and a 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup event. The 2023 World Championships was the Slalom team’s most successful ever Championships, with four World Champions, eight medals and four quota places secured for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on home soil. The National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham hosted the…
Access and Environment
One of Paddle UK’s major campaigns is to open up access to waterways. England and Wales have some of the most restricted access to water in the world. Only 3.4% of our rivers have an uncontested public right of navigation. Our communities are rarely far from rivers, canals or lakes. Yet the vast majority of us are unable to access them. Our blue spaces of rivers, estuaries, canals, reservoirs and lakes touch our lives in many ways. They provide water for us to drink, they help grow our food and also provide a means of transport. Blue spaces can be…
Introduction to Paddle UK
Previously named British Canoeing, PaddleUK has been around since 1936 when it was the British Canoe Union. In 2000 we federalised to become the umbrella organisation for the home nation associations in Scotland (Paddle Scotland), Wales (Canoe Wales) and Northern Ireland (Paddle Northern Ireland). We are still the membership body for England and are responsible for developing the sport within England. Our Purpose and Vision “Inspire people to pursue a passion for paddling; for health, enjoyment, friendship, challenge and achievement”. Today PaddleUK is responsible for leading and setting the overall framework for all the National Associations and includes areas such…
Broadway’s Meadow
On the banks of the River Soar in Leicestershire, Broadways Meadow enables the safe landing and launch for paddlers on one of East Midland’s most popular rivers.
Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat is one of the most iconic canoeing destinations in Britain. Thousands of paddlers navigate the rapids each year along their journey down the River Wye.
Member Places to Paddle
Paddle UK On the Water membership is your gateway to the waterways. It gets you straight onto the water with a licence to paddle over 4,500km of canals, rivers and other managed waterways. You can explore blue spaces far and wide including the Birmingham Canal Navigation, Norfolk Broads, the Fens of Cambridgeshire and River Thames making it the most comprehensive and cost-effective licence available (purchased individually these would cost around £130 so a massive saving of around £80). Paddle UK is proud to take the lead in protecting and securing places to go paddling. Currently, we maintain several sites nationally…
Member Rewards Scheme
Enjoy exclusive offers and discount deals with PaddleUK Rewards, and the savings you make could easily cover the cost of your membership! Become a member and access great offers covering a wide range of interests and activities to help you save money on your most used products, services and activities. PaddleUK Rewards gives you access to an array of great online savings at a variety of top outdoor retailers! For example, Cotswold Outdoor, Mountain Warehouse, and Decathlon The rewards scheme can help you make savings on food and drink, gifts or activities: Continuously save on food and drink at some…
Benefits for Coaches
If you are involved in coaching, then becoming a member of Paddle UK will give you the necessary insurance to protect you when giving advice and instruction. Paddle UK also provides a comprehensive coaching qualification scheme and coach education programme. This is designed to ensure that coaches and participants are fully and properly prepared to take part in the sport. It also ensures coaches are qualified to instruct participants in all aspects of technique, safety and understanding. Benefits of Paddle UK Membership If you are an England-based coach with a coaching qualification, having a Paddle UK membership includes the additional…
Green Spaces
Did you know a contribution of membership income is passed onto the waterway authority? As paddlers the environment and waterways are vitally important to us. Part of the joy of paddling is being immersed in nature and wildlife. We’re committed to helping protect these special places and seeking greater public access to water for recreation. By becoming a member of Paddle UK you’re supporting the work we do with our partners to coordinate national projects and campaigning to improve access and protect our waterways and the environment. The key ways in which we do this and things you can do…
Liability Insurance
Marsh | Bluefin Sport are the appointed insurance broker to Paddle UK. As an On The Water member you benefit from this liability insurance. What is covered By being a member of Paddle UK either as a member, official, committee member, coach, coach educator or volunteer you are entitled to general insurance to protect you and provide peace of mind. Individual member cover All individual members of Paddle UK are covered by Public and Products Liability Insurance. Visit our Insurance Zone for full details. Coach cover Coaches are provided with insurance coverage as individual members and they also benefit from…
Offers and Discounts
Unlock a world of exclusive benefits with Paddle UK membership! Our members enjoy a diverse array of discounts and offers curated in collaboration with key partners. Whether you are looking to purchase new kit, get savings on your everyday spending, or to help plan a holiday or trip, discover a whole host of savings. Planning a trip or holiday? Take advantage of one of our offers to save money on OS Maps, at Halfords or with membership with the Caravan and Motorhome Club. Looking to buy kit or upskill? If you are looking to buy a SUP or safety kit,…