Brecon school pupils try kayaking at Spring Valley Lakes

On the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, pupils from Ysgol Y Bannau in Brecon visited the new Canoe Wales base at the beautiful Spring Valley Lakes resort in the Neath Valley, South Wales. For some, this was their first experience in a kayak, and judging by their smiles the rain did little to dampen their spirits.

There were a few capsizes, but as the saying goes: “We are all between swims!”

Canoe Wales has a mission to recruit new paddlers to the sport. Using our new base, we hope to create a fun and enjoyable paddling community where recreational and competitive paddling can complement each other and be taken to a whole new level. Canoe Sprint and Slalom are Olympic disciplines, and we have a great system to aid new talent to participate in either competitive sport or recreational fun. This new facility will give an exceptional opportunity for children to try canoeing and kayaking in a safe environment.

In the next few weeks, we are looking to organise small taster sessions at the lakes. Any paddler who enjoys these sessions can then choose to continue paddling with us in the Summer school holidays.

Our Summer Programme will have weekly coached paddling sessions. These sessions will provide a holistic approach to the sport with the focus on having fun. Canoe Wales will provide the equipment including kayaks and buoyancy aids.

If you are interested in getting involved – either to paddle or help run this group with us – then please contact our Talent Pathway Officer, James Pigdon, on james.pigdon@canoewales.com