2020 in review: what's gone right?

Our members

• We’ve received great feedback from members about how our regular communications and guidance throughout the COVID-19 crisis has really helped. Thank you for letting us know what has been working for you and what could be improved. Your kind words have kept out team spirits up during a difficult time.

Female participation

• In May, Clare Rutter became the British Canoeing #ShePaddles Ambassador for Canoe Wales, and together with our Development Officer Gayle Penn has been a driving force behind the hugely successful #ShePaddles Cymru programme, which aims to get more women and girls into paddlesport to even up the gender ratio. This summer saw a sell-out series of On Tour taster sessions with 261 tickets were sold and 230 Start Awards given out. Over 1000 members have joined the #ShePaddles Cymru Facebook Group which has become a thriving supportive online community of paddlers.
• We've gained 124 new female Canoe Wales members as a result of the #ShePaddles Cymru programme
• There was a marked increase in the number of female nominations for the Canoe Wales Awards - in fact, 2020 marks the first year that the award winners were evenly split between women and men!

Our clubs

• Our Development Officers have been able to support clubs and providers to allow activity to restart and continue as soon as possible and restrictions allowed
• We've seen better club and coach communications through 2020, especially through using Zoom, generating a closer community in difficult times
• The move from classroom to online courses has enabled a greater number of Safeguarding Officers to attend both the Safeguarding & Protecting Children and Time to Listen courses – our clubs are now in a better position regarding safeguarding training
• 22 people from 19 different clubs have been on the Paddleability course , customised for Canoe Wales and delivered online
• Several clubs have gained access to funding that has allowed them to stay in operation for more of the year, and/or which may turn into new members for 2021. This includes Maesteg Canoe Club and Pontardawe Paddlers, who have both received grants through the #BeActiveWales fund (made possible through money Sport Wales receives from Welsh Government and the National Lottery).

Athlete development

• Over the first lockdown, Head Slalom Coach Thomas Power put a brilliant series of workout resources on Google Classroom for our athletes. Some of these were shared on the Canoe Wales Morning Train on our Facebook page.
• Circuit sessions for athletes were done over Zoom - and went down really well!

Access to waterways

• In November, Welsh Water in partnership with Canoe Wales, Natural Resources Wales and Llanelli Rural Council secured £121k funding from Welsh Government to bring back paddlesports to the Swiss Valley (Cwm Lliedi) reservoirs in Llanelli - and improve facilities, including a boat wash, wheelchair accessible pontoon and better toilets.
• We helped gather support for the public consultation to bring back paddlesport to Lisvane and Llanishen reservoirs - work to restore the reservoirs has now been completed and Llanishen reservoir is once again filling up.
• Canoe Wales secured funding to install wheelchair accessible pontoons at several sites across Wales - stay tuned!

Slalom development

And finally, slalom has really come into its own this year. Here’s an update from Jonathan Davies (Talent Pathway Officer, North Wales):

• "North Wales Slalom now has five training sites all of which have had a significant revamp in the last few months at Llanberis, Capel Curig, Mold, Llangollen and Bala mill.
• We now have our own WW training site over at Mile End Mill, Llangollen. This is based at TNR Outdoors. After an absence of over 10 years, there are now 10 new slalom gates up and another 10 planned for 2021. NWS now run a Saturday morning session at this site that is open to all levels.
• There are six new local young paddlers coming on to the Llangollen programme. This group is being supported by a local Slalom coach.
• NWS has a structured programme at each training site giving each paddler a clear and supportive pathway from grass roots level through into the Welsh programme. 
• Every paddler on the programme now has access to up to two midweek evening sessions, one pre-school morning session, weekend training camps, psychology support, S&C and a physiotherapist (in the pipeline) if needed.
  
• I am in process of putting together a structured Coach Development Programme where parents or paddlers wanting to become coaches, or recreational coaches wanting to become discipline specific in slalom coaching, can be supported along a clear supported pathway into coaching slalom. 
• Thanks to Sid Sinfield for his support in putting this together.
• There are 14 coaches, parents and paddlers interested in gaining this support.
• Despite COVID we currently have a total of 39 paddlers across the five sites. This is forecast to increase up to 56 in the next 12 months. 
  
• 17 local youngsters attended an Open Day on Llyn Padarn, Llanberis in November. Great fun was had by all despite the weather. All these paddlers bar one have now joined the Llanberis programme.
  
• The Welsh Slalom Committee, DMM of Llanberis, The Outdoor Partnership, Canoe Wales, TNR Outdoors, Padarn Country Park, Kingswood Outdoor centre, and Plas-y-Brenin have all made the above possible with their on going support. Thank you for all your support!"

We’d like to thank everyone for your patience, understanding and incredible community spirit this year – we’re proud to have you as part of our paddlesport community, and we look forward to building on these strong foundations in 2021. If you’d like more information about any of the topics above, just get in touch via admin@canoewales.com