Brentford Community Boating Arch

Brentford Community Boating Arch

Brentford FC Community Sports Trust started discussing this Project with Active Ealing and St. George Ltd in October 2004 when St. George suggested the potential availability of an arch at Kew Bridge to run canoeing. Detailed negotiations with Transport for London (who own the Arches) followed and as a result St. George secured the lease of 2 arches. Three years on we have received funding - around £30,000 from St. George, £10,000 from Sport England, £3,000 from Active Ealing and £5,000 from B&Q to secure equipment, building costs and project management. Stage one of the building work is complete and the arch is ready for use - subject to having an adjacent toilet block refurbished. It has changing rooms, storage for around 50 canoes and other kit and a small teaching and meeting area.

Meanwhile, over the spring and summer we established a very successful Wednesday night session with the help of British Waterways (who lent us an office rent free for 6 months) on the Grand Union Canal at Brentford Lock. Even without advertising and promotion this attracted 30 young people, mainly from local estates, every week. Its success demonstrated high demand for the activity. As a result around 15 young people have achieved canoeing qualifications and 4 are ready to train as British Canoe Union coaches this coming winter. Several whitewater trips to Hurley Weir near Marlow and the Nene Whitewater Centre in Northants have also been organised. In June we ran some very successful sessions at the canal with children from Springhallow Special School in Ealing and a number of primary schools in Hounslow.

We also trained Ealing and Hounslow’s canoe slalom teams for the London Youth Games. Both teams did well, with Hounslow achieving an unprecedented 4th place in this event. Local voluntary coaches have given their time to run sessions and courses along with coordination and input from Mo Jama, Dan Hyman and Karol Kirschling from the Trust.

We are now putting together an exciting programme for Kew Bridge and hope also to retain canoe polo and coaching for people with special needs at Brentford Lock (subject to identifying equipment storage). A bid has been submitted to the London Marathon Trust for funding to further develop the Arch by adding showers and toilets to the changing rooms.

Within 2 years we aim to have established one of London’s most progressive and active canoeing clubs with 100+ members. The club will focus on whitewater kayaking and working with people with special needs, but will also offer the chance to learn basic skills. Brentford FC Community Sports Trust is well positioned to provide canoeing opportunities to a wider population in West London including the large local ethnic minority population. We will have provided a new base for Thames Explorers Trust to teach children about the ecology and archaeology of the river. We are also discussing with London Youth Rowing the feasibility of establishing rowing coaching for beginners. This work will link into the Trust’s Positive Futures and schools programmes by providing capacity to develop boating activities in Brentford.

For more information please contact Gurpal Sahota at the Trust. gsahota@brentfordfccst.com