Governance

Aims, objectives and history

Young child paddlingCanoeing is more than a sport; it's a lifestyle that boosts physical activity and challenges individuals to step outside their comfort zone. Kingston Kayak Club (KKC) provides a supervised and secure environment, promoting a healthier and more active lifestyle for its participants.

Over the years, KKC has earned recognition as the best canoe club in England and has proudly achieved the title of the best club in the United Kingdom. Our club's aims and objectives are:

  • Offer coaching and competitive opportunities in Kayaking/Canoeing
  • Promote the club and its activities within the local community
  • Manage the Albert Avenue premises
  • Ensure a duty of care to all members/users, promoting environmental respect during paddling
  • Provide services in a fun, respectful way, ensuring accessibility and fairness to everyone

While canoeing and kayaking may seem like extreme sports, KKC caters to both adrenaline seekers and those looking for a more relaxed experience. From white-water challenges to gentle paddles on serene rivers, our club welcomes individuals and families of all ages and abilities. We provide a diverse range of supervised opportunities guided by qualified instructors.

Accessibility is key at KKC. To make canoeing available to all, the club offers a broad selection of equipment, allowing anyone to try the sport at a minimal cost.

Founded in 1983, KKC has grown from the Wolfreton School Canoe Club into a thriving community. Our clubhouse, located at the Albert Avenue pools complex, includes access to the outdoor Lido pool, renovated through Lottery Funding. Regular training sessions are held in both indoor and outdoor pools, and the clubroom is available for hire, ideal for group meetings.

Our facilities provide a safe, controlled environment for participants to learn essential skills before venturing into the great outdoors. We have a strong environmental ethos, with all members instructed on responsible countryside enjoyment.

KKC embraces diversity, welcoming individuals of all ages, genders, and abilities. Canoeing is a sport for everyone, offering a range of disciplines for both national and international competition, as well as providing a friendly atmosphere for those seeking a healthy exercise routine.

Volunteers play a crucial role at KKC, with a focus on developing coaches, including young talents who have earned accolades such as the 2015 British Canoeing 'Young Coach' of the year. Our club has become a regional centre of excellence for coaching development, ensuring continuous improvement and confidence growth among our members.

With strategic importance in the sport, KKC members have held senior positions in national, regional, and local management committees, providing technical assistance in slalom and polo disciplines.

While KKC has around 130 members, we extend canoeing opportunities to a broader audience in Hull and its surrounding areas. Throughout the year, we organize a minimum of six coached sessions weekly, including events for Scouts, Guides, Youth, and disability groups. Our six-week school holiday summer school has been a tradition for 28 years.

Actively seeking new outreach opportunities, KKC introduced sessions for armed forces recruits at Leconfield Barracks and for Mathews Hub, a support organisation for young adults with autism. The club, open to all, fosters a family feel with consistent participation from girls and women.

At KKC, we not only offer an enriching sporting experience but also maintain an active social side suitable for families and individuals of all ages. Members with disabilities are warmly welcomed, with the only prerequisite being the ability to swim and are water confident.

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Codes of Practice, Conduct and H&S

The KKC is affiliated to the National Governing Body of Canoeing ‘British Canoeing’ (http://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk), previously the British Canoe Union (http://www.britishcanoeunion.org.uk). The sport is conducted under the auspices of Sport England (https://www.sportengland.org) and at all time the KKC will undertake to follow the best practice of both organisations. The KKC has attained Club Mark accreditation and the latest certificate is available on this site.

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Welfare, Medical Needs & Disabilities

Members are asked to advise the club of any medical needs or disabilities.  If medical needs or disabilities are identified the membership secretary will inform the club welfare officers and lead coach.  This information will always be dealt with sensitively, but it is important for paddlers enjoyment that appropriate safeguards are put in place.

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Community, Environment & City of Culture

The KKC takes pride in providing enjoyable canoeing activities for everyone. We actively encourage participants to acquire skills in a safe and controlled environment before venturing into the great outdoors. With a strong environmental ethos, our members are guided on how to appreciate the countryside responsibly and sustainably. We are currently in negotiations to use our premises for a short green energy experiment, employing low-pressure water and gravity to create non-emission energy.

Membership is open to all, and we also welcome inquiries from existing groups interested in trying canoeing as part of their activities. Thursday evenings are dedicated to sessions at the outdoor pool, but we can accommodate other days and times upon request.

Group rafted on the outdoor pool.

Our excellent selection of equipment allows us to offer open access to the sport, eliminating the need for individuals to purchase their own gear. This is particularly beneficial for young people exploring various sports before finding their specialisation. Our facilities, equipment, and friendly coaches have fostered effective partnerships with numerous community groups.

Our Engagements

  • Princes Quay Triathlons: Supported open water swimming events in 2015.
  • CAT ZERO Programme: Introduced canoeing with a focus on team building for young people not in employment, education, or training.
  • Collaboration with Hull Culture and Sport: Organised taster sessions at a local boating lake and Go Canoe sessions at Princes Quay.
  • Summer School: Ran a 5-week programme offering three introductory sessions per day for children at a reasonable price for 25 years.
  • Scout and Guide Groups: Provided introductory sessions throughout each summer.
  • New Outreach Initiatives: Introduced Friday evening sessions at Leconfield Barracks and organised summer sessions for Mathews Hub, a support organisation for young adults with autism.

If you or your club/organisation is interested in collaborating with us, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

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Development Plan

The development plan is the National Governing Body's Club Mark audit tool.  The KKC is currently (May 2016) developing a more user-friendly version of this document, to include development work that is in addition to that required by the NGB.

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Additional Governance

The KKC gets many request for information, about its structures and governance arrangements.  For transparency and the spirit of freedom of information this page indexes those policies, certificates and accreditations which may be of interest.  These are reviewed annually at the time of the AGM.

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