February 2023 Club Update

In this update, there’s a reminder about club sessions, news from our AGM, and fundraising for a defibrillator at Hurley Lock.

Club sessions

Our winter club session schedule is:

• Club Saturday – general club session for everyone, new for this year – usually goes downstream.
• Club Sunday – the classic club session for everyone, paddling to Hurley and back. 

Sessions are on the water at 10:00, finishing by 13:00. Bring your own tea and cake. 

While we keep paddling throughout the year, in high flows you may find we run downstream-only trips or start to turn people away if the conditions are too strong for them.

Most regular paddlers should find themselves able to continue, but you should make sure you are dressed appropriately.

If you are a duty officer or take part in peer paddles, you need to remember that the group should be qualified for the prevailing environmental conditions or be under the responsibility of a qualified coach or leader. If in doubt, play it safe. 

The environmental conditions to consider include the flow rate, wind, weather, and temperature. You can see the latest river conditions on GOV.UK.

British Canoeing has published its own advice on winter paddling.

We may offer opportunities for night paddles and whitewater coaching at the weir – keep an eye on our Facebook group for these. 

We offer pool sessions on the first Saturday of each month. 

These are the perfect opportunity to practice capsizes, rolling, and rescue skills in a clear, warm pool.

• Venue: Chalfont Leisure Centre, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9LR https://goo.gl/maps/pyzfhisgnW3SYyuy6
• Time: 18:30 – 20:00
• Price: £7 adults / £3 juniors
• Book and pay: Membermojo Store  
• You need to bring your own boat and equipment or arrange with others in advance.

We’ve been asked to be more careful not to bring dirty or leafy kayaks into the pool. Please be considerate so we can continue to enjoy these sessions. 

Duty officers

Our duty officers are vital to running all these sessions. If you’ve received DO training or have done it before, please consider volunteering for a future session by filling in the spreadsheet. This now includes our pool sessions. 

Trips and social events

Touring

Contact: touring@marlowcc.org.uk 

The weather may be starting to get a little cooler and we can expect the river flow to increase over the next few weeks. However, we do not intend to stop paddling and will continue to offer members the chance to do some paddles that are a little different tour usual trips to Hurley or Cookham Bridge.

If the river flow becomes too strong to enjoy paddling against it, we will switch to downstream one-way paddles, bringing boats back on cars or to canals where there is no flow.

If anybody has a paddle that they would particularly like to do please email touring@marlowcc.org.uk and we will see what we can do to make it happen.

Keep your eye on the MCC Members Facebook page as that is where any planned paddles will be advertised.

Whitewater

Contact: touring@marlowcc.org.uk

The high flows have certainly dislodged a fair amount of flotsam and jetsam into the river. So we’ll be organising a river clean to do our bit to tidy things up a bit. If there is sufficient interest, we may run a clean-up group on both the Saturday and the Sunday sessions, one upstream and one down towards the Bounty (possibly with a lunch stop…).

More details will be shared on the MCC Members Facebook page 

Whitewater

Contact: whitewater@marlowcc.org.uk

Dave has planned a series of monthly whitewater trips throughout the winter. You can sign up on the whitewater spreadsheet – ask Dave for access if you’ve lost the link. New whitewater paddlers are always welcome – get in touch with Dave if you’re keen to get started.

Annual General Meeting

Our AGM was held last Monday. We agreed:

• To adopt the club accounts and give the committee delegated authority to appoint an auditor for next year
• To keep membership fees unchanged
• To reappoint the Trustees for another one-year term

Your 2023 committee was elected and they are:

Chair	Alex Shiell
Treasurer	Dave Goddard
Secretary	Carsten Mieves
Coaching	Chloe Smith
White water	Dave Hanchet
Inland Touring	Ian Butler
Sea kayak	David Elmer / Andrew Hartley
Marathon	Heather Mellersh
Freestyle	Vacant
Members	Ian Butler
Equipment	Tom Bailey
Welfare	Tessa Folkes
Safety	Ted Ley
Social	Dan Holloway
Media	Vacant
New members	Nigel Bowers

Congratulations to our award winners:

• Most improved male: Dan Holloway
• Most improved female: Sophie Coughlan
• Volunteer of the year: Russ Willings
• Swimmer of the year: Tom Bailey
• Photography competition: Heather Mellersh

Defibrillator fundraising

We’re working with the Environment Agency to install a Public Access Defibrillator at Hurley Lock on the River Thames.

As well as Hurley Lock being one of our regular paddling destinations, it is popular with other recreational boat traffic passing through. It is also on the Thames path National Trail which attracts many walkers.

Nearby Hurley weir is a very popular location on the River Thames for freestyle kayaking. It attracts everyone from those making their first foray into freestyle to members of the GB Freestyle Kayak Team preparing for their next medals. A defibrillator nearby could save lives.

We are seeking donations from individuals and local organisations to make this a reality. The funding target is £1300. We’re looking to install a Mindray C1A, which will be provided by the London Hearts Charity .

Around 60,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests occur every year in the UK according to European data. Quick use of a defibrillator can significantly raise the survival rate of anyone suffering a cardiac arrest.

Please donate to this worthwhile cause to help save lives on Justgiving

Safety alerts

British Canoeing has issued new safety alerts:

• Carrying a means of calling for help is critical when paddling in coastal waters. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB’s) have demonstrated their effectiveness leading to many successful rescues. However, Personal Locator Beacons (PLB’s) must be registered with the Coastguard.