BSCC was founded in 1972 and has a flourishing membership of all ages and abilities. Canoeing and kayaking are fun sports providing fresh air, excercise and enjoyment and the aim of the club is to promote this through marathon and sprint racing. While the standard of marathon and sprint paddling is high, the club also likes to have fun and enjoy canoeing as a recreation.
The club operates throughout the year on Sunday mornings (all abilities) and on Saturdays and weekday evenings for more serious training. The club house is about one mile south of Bishop's Stortford (Styleman's Lane, off Hallingbury Road - map) with parking. It has canoe storage, gym area with paddle machines, changing rooms, toilets and hot showers.
We have
a range of boats available at the club for members' use. For beginners
we have stable plastic kayaks which provide new paddlers with
a safe and enjoyable introduction to the sport. As proficiency
improves, we have a number of fibreglass racing kayaks, and several
smaller ones (Lightnings) ideal for under-12s. The club also has
tandem kayaks, including a Hody K2 for juniors, and some open
canoes. We have a limited amount of storage for members' own boats.
The club participates in the Eastern Region Hasler Marathons, and frequently qualifies to take part in the national finals. We are affiliated to the Essex Canoeing Association and for many years have hosted one of the six races in the Essex Winter Series; this series is an ideal introduction to marathon racing both for experienced and new paddlers. Members regularly attend the Sprint Regatta weekends at Nottingham and some local sprint events. We encourage our paddlers to try different types of paddlesport, and opportunities occasionally arise for visits to the Nene Whitewater centre.
As a club, we like to enjoy ourselves off the water as well as on, and each year hold a number of social events. A Quiz Night, Summer Fun Day, and Club Awards Dinner are held annually.
BSCC is affiliated to the British Canoe Union, who have accredited us under the Clubmark scheme and certified us as a Top Performance Club (read more here). Copies of the club's Constitution, Rules, Codes of Conduct, Safety Policy, Buoyancy Aid Policy and Child Protection Policy and available from the Secretary. The AGM is held in October.
Over the years BSCC has been fortunate to receive grants of various sizes towards different projects. The most recent is a substantial award from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme (read more here).
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updated 14 Jun 2008