Paddle UK – Leaders for clubs

There has been some discussion on the LCC Message Board about requirements for club leaders (the initial post was originally about requirements for the sea).

We all need to be very careful with social media posts from others.  A commercial provider’s main aim may be to get everyone to use professionals to guide, coach and lead their development of paddlesport.  Their interpretation of how a club should run or operate may be a little one-sided, and the key phrase from their overplayed post is “clubs without existing infrastructure”.  Liverpool Canoe Club has a history of being well managed, resourced and with excellent structure (aka “a club framework”).   Indeed, many often complain that we have far too many procedures and policies.

Liverpool Canoe Club is a voluntary organisation which promotes safety, guidance and access to a variety of paddlesports through and by its volunteer members.   Many already paddle in small peer groups, but also paddle with the club during club events (paddles).   The above points were explained at the AGM and the implications for club paddling going forward.  The Annual General Meeting (PowerPoint from the evening) – Liverpool Canoe Club.

The club already operates under the current BCU/PUK standard operating procedures (2024, 2025 and the current 2026 versions).   Crucially, Liverpool Canoe Club have written its own standard operating procedures rather than copying the PUK generic ones with protects us a little from the “over enthusiastic” global adoption of a commercial structure, but yet enables us to be fully compliant with our affiliation requirements. Coaches and leaders (and anyone in the club) can submit an event or paddle, but they should have read and understood all the guidance about running a trip on our website.

Those who are on the club list of leaders, assistants and trainees have been receiving information on how to update and maintain their current status over the past year.  We currently require the three orange tab items seen opposite.   While BCAB qualifications are an ideal way to show competence, they are only one of five possible items of evidence we use when deciding to deploy our volunteers.

Roger asks if the Stewardship group will pick up on this – I can assure you that we have been working on and implementing all the updates and changes from PUK over the past two years, and are fully compliant. See the club Policies and Procedures tab that all clubs now have to make visible on their public websites

As for pathways, along with in-house training and development, we are promoting and encouraging those interested in leading on the docks and in very sheltered water to undertake BCAB Paddle Sport Instructor (PSI).   Indeed, Adya is coordinating these courses, which are already on our calendar……
https://liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk/events-2/?event=38881
https://liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk/events-2/?event=38883

For Sea Kayaking, we are promoting the Sea Kayak Leader Awards and have Nick Cunliffe volunteering to run a Sea Kayak Leader Training Course https://liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk/events-2/?event=38912