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 affiliation means they have to meet certain standards for club members.

In England some clubs may also have voluntarily worked through the Quality Club accreditation scheme. It's a sign of high standards at the club in the areas of governance, safeguarding and equality, diversity & inclusion.

Look out for the Quality Club entry if you use our Services Lookup. Or you can ask PaddleBot if a particular club has met the Quality Club standard.

English clubs we list may also carry additional badges. These reflect the club's interest in a particular area, such as promoting women's paddling, Clear Access Clear Waters, or developing potential Olympic or Paralympic talent.

The Delivery Partner Scheme

The Delivery Partner Scheme represents a mutual undertaking between Paddle UK the many different types of paddling centres across the UK. It also helps reassure customers they will be receiving a quality service.

The scheme sets out how we will work together with partners to achieve high quality standards, and improved access to safe, high quality paddlesport experiences for all.

Our Delivery Partners are committed to the Partner Charter. They share our aim of providing first class paddling experiences. The Partner Charter represents a mutual undertaking of how Paddle UK and Partners will work together to achieve this.

Partners ‘opt in' to the voluntary scheme and select the services they want to receive from Paddle UK. Paddle UK provides partners with services which range from technical advice, communications on safety, product recalls and advancements in the sector.

A Delivery Partner makes a commitment to using British Canoeing Awarding Body qualifications and awards with staff, volunteers and their customers. They agree to meet our standards of deployment and share our commitment to continual improvement. The charter covers safety, safeguarding, ethical recruitment and the environmental impact of partners as well as other key areas.

If you wish to learn more or become a Delivery Centre you can do so on the Go Paddling website linked here. Alternatively, you can ask PaddleBot at the bottom right of the site about becoming a Delivery Partner.