Brentford Community Boating Arch

membership sessions trips coaching health & safety contact

Brentford Boating Arch Brentford Boating Arch is a project managed by Brentford FC Community Sports Trust to develop access to the river through canoeing and eventually rowing to the Brentford, Ealing and Strand on the Green Areas. The project has received grants from Sport England, the London Marathon Trust, Access Sport Sports Relief and also funding from St George Ltd, Ealing Council and B&Q. This enabled us to provide a good range of boats and equipment suitable for all levels and convert the arch (which had been derelict for many years) into a boathouse. A new Canoe England affiliated canoe club has been established and the aim is to have 150 + members by next year. It's not essential to join to take part at the Arch but there are many advantages of being part of the club. Anyone over 8 can join and our membership ranges from 8 to 60 +. No previous experience or equipment is required to take part as everything is provided including coaching however you do need to be confident in water. The new club will specialize in whitewater kayaking on weirs, mountain rivers and surf but will also welcome people who just want to get out on the Thames. We also plan to offer slalom and canoe polo and introduce people to racing as part of club activities. Canoe Polo will be taking place from late Spring 2009 at the Grand Union Canal and in swimming pool sessions. If you are interested in Slalom we will soon be looking for competitors aged under 18 and training up teams for Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham for the 2009 Youth Games People of all abilities are welcome at the Arch – we aim to be very inclusive. We offer programmes for people with special needs and we can coach people through to high performance levels. By 2012 we aim to be a centre of excellence for coaching canoeing. The aim for 2009 is to have more local coaches so that activities can be expanded . In 2008 we trained 14 people as BCU Level 1 coaches and we are looking for more. If you are interested in becoming a coach or to volunteer to help in other areas of the programme we would be very happy to discuss and to get you involved. You don’t need to be an expert canoeist to begin coaching with us. A good basic skill level in canoeing and the ability to communicate and work as part of a team are all that’s required. We can provide training and seek funding to cover the costs for anyone who would like to be a voluntary coach with us.		By late summer 2009 there will be activities running everyday at or from the Arch. The programme will include beginner sessions, canoe polo, whitewater trips and training and assessments in BCU proficiency awards. We also hope to take on a second arch at Kew Bridge with the help of St George Ltd.our main sponsor. Our current winter programme includes pool sessions at Isleworth Pool and Gurnell Pool in Greenford to teach rolling and basic skills, and whitewater trips for intermediate paddlers. Safety is very important to us and we have spent a lot of time assessing risks and training our coaches and helpers to minimize them. Of course it’s impossible to make any watersport risk free – but we aim to make it as safe as possible while having fun. If you are not sure whether canoeing is for you – come and try it. We will be running adult sessions, junior sessions, beginner and intermediate courses and a range of trips and special events this year. Club Coaches BBA has three experienced Level 3 lead coaches. All have been trained by Kayakojacko a leading professional coaching organization and have led and taken part in kayaking trips throughout Europe and the UK. They have between them 20 years kayak coaching experience and many more years of experience in coaching and taking part in other sports . They oversee the programme and ensure that the other coaches are properly trained and qualified. For more information please contact Gurpal Sahota at the Trust. bba@brentfordfccst.com or call 0845 262 9495