Crouch Kayak Club

Hello, my name is John and I am the newly appointed chairman of the Crouch Kayak club. I have stepped down as Treasurer and taken over from Jerry who has looked after the club for the last two years. He has done an amazing job and I would really like to thank him and Dee for all their hard work. I have big shoes to fill. My kayaking started in Leigh-on-sea at the age of thirteen when I was bought a second-hand double kayak. At sixteen I built a single kayak using an Otter sports plywood kayak kit. All a long time ago now. Over the years I have paddled and sailed various craft around the country and in Europe. One place I remember fondly is kayaking in Venice. I can highly recommend it as a way of exploring the bits of the city you can’t see by foot. By the way the Italians drive their boats like their cars which adds to the excitement. And so to the present, I am equally excited to announce our new committee and take this opportunity to warmly welcome Dan as our Vice Chairman. Dan will also continue to manage all our social media alongside his new role. Andy Coppin, our dedicated Equipment Officer, will step into the position of Club Secretary and complete the necessary courses to also become our Deputy Safeguarding Officer. Alan Organ will remain as our Welfare Officer and will also take on the role of Treasurer. We’re also pleased to welcome a new member to the committee, Roger Smith, who will serve as our Membership Secretary, I would like to take this opportunity thank Mark Kendrick for all his work over the last 2 years in this role. Additionally, Newton Ford will continue his work as our Health and Safety Officer. Their commitment and support are truly appreciated, and we look forward to the positive contributions they will bring to the club. The new season is upon us and as a Paddle UK Quality club we are looking forward to building an exciting programme of paddles, kayak training and social events. Keep an eye on the club calendar on the website. May the season's weather be kind to us and I will see you on the water. John Holliday

In the words of the great Britney Spears, 🎵 Whoops we did it again 🎵 For the 4th consecutive year, Crouch Kayak Club have been Awarded Quality Club Status from Paddle UK. This is a national award which recognises that our club has excelled in providing paddle activities for our members . Well done to all the committee members for making sure that the processes we have in place help us adhere to Paddle UK’s high bar for governance, safety, safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion and much more. Thank you to all our members for your help and support and for making Crouch Kayak Club fun to be a part of. Tell your friends! Our affiliation to Paddle UK is very important to our club, we will continue to push to improve with Paddle UK support and guidance to make our club even better. Onwards and upwards! Andy

For most of the nine club members, this was a first: a day trip paddling along the Thames in London. John, Kelsey, Jerry, and I started our adventure by meeting at Burnham train station, joining up with Mark at Billericay to continue our journey into the city. Upon arriving at Pimlico, we took a short walk to the Westminster Boating Base, were we met up with the rest of our group. A quick lunch out on the balcony before changing and gearing up for the paddle. With buoyancy aids, paddles, and spray skirts selected, our group was joined by two leaders, a handful of seasoned paddlers, and a few other first-timers like us. In total, there were 15 —quite a large group, with the leaders agreeing. This becoming even more evident as they had to dig deep into storage to find enough suitable boats. I say "suitable" loosely, as Kelsey and I had a slightly different opinion on what qualifies as such! Finally, we set off. Two speedboats, packed with both people and kayaks stuffed into every available crevice, ferried us out. It was a bumpy, cold ride—definitely not the glamorous scene you'd expect from a James Bond movie. Once we were dropped off on a small beach, the real fun began for Kelsey and me. Our little river boats, without skegs, made for a rather interesting experience. Cue the laughter, the frustration, and the spinning as we fought to gain control on the Thames. Eventually, we got the hang of it, but let me tell you, give us a sea kayak any day! We were blessed with perfect weather: calm, dry, and not too cold. The entire group enjoyed a leisurely paddle, taking in the iconic sights of London from a completely different perspective. It was an absolutely fantastic day, finished off nicely with a pizza and a pint. The biggest thanks goes to Mark for organising this unforgettable adventure for the club. Definitely one for the books, and one we'd love to do again! Dee Photos supplied: Kelsey, Dee, John and Mark