CANOE ENGLAND PRESS RELEASE
Friday 30th April 2010
Canoe England campaign encouraging more people to go canoeing - launches today
A campaign, to encourage more people to go canoeing, is to be launched by Canoe England, this weekend.
National Go Paddling Week will run from 1st – 9th May.
Over 50 clubs and centres around England are expected to take part, with some continuing to run sessions, throughout the summer.
Sue Hornby, Canoe England’s Director of Development comments -
‘Canoeing is a fantastic sport providing a healthy lifestyle, exciting competition and challenge for all ages.
National Go Paddling Week is a great way to get started or to rediscover a great sport.’
For more information about National Go Paddling Week visit
www.canoe-england.co.uk/clubs-i-centres/go-paddling-days/
Ends
For further information please contact:
Chloe Nelson - Canoe England Marketing Manager
T: 0845 370 9511 T: 07794 051287 E: [email protected]
Unless otherwise stated, all images are the property of Canoe England and any copying or reproduction of them should be agreed in advance.
If you would like to remove your email address from the distribution list please email [email protected]
Notes to the editors:
Canoe England, a division of the British Canoe Union (BCU), was set up to support the development of canoeing in England. It was established in 2000 when the BCU federalised to become the umbrella organisation for the Home Nation Associations in Scotland (SCA), Wales (CW) and Northern Ireland (CANI). Sport England is a major funder of canoeing through Canoe England, investing National Lottery and Exchequer funding in our work to grow and sustain participation in the sport and create opportunities for those with talent to excel.
The umbrella organisation, the BCU, was set up in 1936 to send a team to the Berlin Olympics and is the lead body for canoeing and kayaking in the UK. The BCU is responsible for leading and setting the overall framework for the National Associations; including representing canoeing interests through coaching, competition and campaigning for increased access to Britain’s waterways for paddlers. In the Beijing Olympics canoeing became a Gold medal winning sport, with Tim Brabants (www.timbrabants.com) winning Gold and Bronze in canoe sprint racing. In canoe slalom David Florence (www.davidflorence.com) won Silver. The aim for London 2012 is to win three medals, two of which Gold. For information on GB Canoeing visit www.worldclass-canoeing.org.uk
Today the BCU has a membership of over 60,000, including over 450 affiliated clubs and 145 approved centres. According to the RYA Watersports Survey there are an estimated 1.26 million people take to the water in a canoe each year. The vast majority do so under a watchful eye of one of the 11,000 BCU Qualified coaches or as part of an affiliated organisation.
For more information visit: www.canoe-england.org.uk.