Description
Welcome to The University of Bristol Canoe Club.
About us:
We're a busy and active club with lots of paddling including whitewater, canoe polo, playboating, and stand-up paddle boarding, alongside weekly socials.
We welcome anyone to join whether you've never been kayaking before or are more experienced!
Most weekends are filled either with whitewater river running or canoe polo tournaments. We are a Gold Balloon Accreditated club and a Club Evolution performance sport club. Despite our name, we actually kayak not canoe!
We play canoe polo at our very own polo pitch down at the docks, take frequent trips to Cardiff Whitewater Centre, as well as beginner weekends to various rivers.
When:
Wednesday: 2pm - canoe polo training - docks (Meet at stores, consult polo sec before attending)
Thursday: 8.45-10.30pm - Whitewater skills - pool session (Richmond Building)
Sunday: 7:45-9:30 pm - Canoe polo training - pool session (Richmond Building)
Sunday: 2:00-5:00 pm - Stand up Paddleboarding - docks (Meet at stores)
Our pool sessions take place in the SU Richmond Building. We will have someone in the lobby to greet you!
Our docks sessions take place at the Brunel Lock Pitch on the Avon. Meet at the canoe stores to walk down together
Weekends usually consist of trips either to go whitewater paddling, kayak surfing, competing freestyle at NSR or canoe polo tournaments including BUCS.
Membership Prices:
1 year - £45 (£5 discount if you join our club by 12/10/23, the end of our Give it a Go! season)
1 term - £25
SUP only - £20 (can be upgraded to full member for £25)
All kit is supplied that you need to get you on the water - yes everything!
In order to attend pool sessions, you need a basic #WeAreBristol sports pass in addition to the club membership. This will be applied automatically at checkout.
Welcome!
Welcome to the University of Bristol Canoe Club - we’re so glad you’re interested in joining us! As a Golden Balloon accredited club for the last 7 years running, we are proud to be one of the most engaging, welcoming, inclusive - and above all - fun clubs around! We run multiple club sessions each week, accompanied by regular weekend activities, trips and socials, so there really is something for everyone regardless of ability or experience. If you would like to see what we’re about, sign up to one of our Give it a Go! sessions on our events page, which will be running until October 8th, 2023. Alternatively, come along to one of our regular pool sessions and try the sport out for free before committing to membership. If you have any questions, drop us an email or DM us on Instagram!
Whitewater:
As a club, we run several weekend trips throughout the year as well as day trips to Dartmoor and Wales. We frequently paddle the Dart, the Exe, the Usk and the Dee.
An extended trip to Scotland or Wales occurs during Easter before ending the year with a 2 week trip to the French Alps.
Our Thursday pool sessions help teach you the skills required for paddling on moving water in a friendly (and warm) environment!
These sessions are very relaxed and social. We have fun teaching you important skills that will build your water confidence.
Anyone from any background is welcome. We teach everything starting at the basics like boat control, moving on to rescue techniques and capsize prevention before training people to roll.
Training & Development Officer - Tom Shaw (He/Him)
Canoe polo:
Canoe polo is a competitive team sport similar to waterpolo but in kayaks (also described as bumper cars but in boats and with a goal)!
It is a really fun game and we encourage you to come along and try it out! All abilities are welcome!
There are three teams for you to be involved in; Open, Ladies & Non-binary, and Development (beginner) teams. We usually have away weekend tournaments in London, Cardiff and Nottingham for BUCS. We also have regular fixtures as part of a South West University Leagues (SWUPL) and participated in National and Regional Leagues last year.
In 2022 we competed in the SWUPL league winning the B-team tournament with our new wave of recruits. Last year (22/23) we took part in Cardiff Canoe Polo tournament competing in the Womens and Open league, placing 6th in womens! (we are very proud of our new members putting up a fight against experienced teams).
Polo Officer - Holly Harbige (She/Her)
SUP (Stand-Up Paddle Board)
Our weekly Stand up Paddle boarding sessions are a great way to inject some tranquility and balancing practice into your week! We play lots of interesting SUP games and are open to your activity suggestions. All skill levels are welcome! We have 5 boards to offer and we meet at the SU building before setting off from the docks. Paddle boards and related paraphernalia, as well as wetsuits and buoyancy aids, are all provided by the club so all you have to do is come with a smile! These sessions are fairly new to the club, so come and help shape its habits with me!
Socials:
Hi we're Lauren and Emily, and we’ll be running the socials this year! We are second year students doing Chemistry and Geography respectively, and joined the club last year! Everyone is super welcoming and your confidence on the water builds so quickly.
Kayaking socials can be drinking or non-drinking socials, but either way, they always aim to be fun and inclusive for everyone. We look forward to organising some memorable nights out for new and old members this year. See you all soon!
Social Secretaries- Lauren Dempsey and Emily James
Find out more:
Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/UoBCanoe/
Facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/UOBCanoe/ (this is a closed group so your request to join must be approved )
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/uobcanoe/
Sign up to our weekly newsletter
Committee Contacts:
Captain - Beatrice Lovell (She/Her) (ir22051@bristol.ac.uk)
Vice-captain and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer - Gabriel De Almeida (He/Him) (dealmeida.gl.2021@bristol.ac.uk)
Treasurer - Joe Renshaw (He/Him) (yc21805@bristol.ac.uk)
Secretary - Gemma Hart (She/Her) (fa21721@bristol.ac.uk)
Training & Development Officer - Tom Shaw (He/Him) (kx22537@bristol.ac.uk)
Polo Officier - Holly Harbige (She/Her) (ld22244@bristol.ac.uk)
Kit Officer- Thomas Mackie (He/Him) (tom.mackie.2020@bristol.ac.uk)
Social Secretaries - Lauren Dempsey (She/Her) and Emily James (She/Her) (socialsecsuobcanoe@gmail.com)
Communications Officer - Manasi Kamthe (She/Her) (hw21584@bristol.ac.uk)
SUP Secretary - Alex Miller (He/Him) (jy22218@bristol.ac.uk)
Contact us:
Email: uobcanoeclub@gmail.com (Club account) or ir22051@bristol.ac.uk (Captain)
Or send us a DM on Instagram!
If you have any specific questions, do not hesitate to message any one of our committee members.
UoBCC Equality Statement
We are committed to providing a friendly and safe environment for all students to be able to participate and excel in kayaking. We will stand up against any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation that occurs within our club sessions or externally.
We want to make kayaking accessible for all and if you have any suggestions about how we can improve this, please do not hesitate in letting our committee know. As UoBCC, we aim to remove any actual and potential barriers against kayaking and provide equal opportunities to all to enjoy our sport, improve their skills and have fun.
UoBCC Sustainability Statement
Here at UoBCC, we know sustainability is not just about recycling, its about making the world a happy and healthy place; both now and in the future. We try to do our part in minimising the pollution in our waterways to minimise UoBCC's mark on the local area. We are committed to reducing our social, economic and environmental impact both locally and globally. This is why sustainability is one of our core values.
Signed:
UoBCC Representation
Democracy is important, so:
- Our Captain (or available committee members) will attend Student Council/Annual Members Meetings on behalf of the group
- You can read our Constitution
- Here are our AGM Minutes 2023
- Any member of UoBCC can request the minutes from the weekly committee meetings from Gemma Hart as we aim to be transparent in what decisions the committee are making.
Trip Literature
Copy of our trip policy
Terms and conditions
Click here to view terms and conditions
By proceeding I understand that kayaking is an assumed risk activity and as such University of Bristol Canoe Club do not accept liability outside of its duty of care. Trips are led by experienced and competent club paddlers for the enjoyment of others in time given voluntarily. Their decision on whether a trip is safe to run is final; this includes forfeiture due to weather events and river conditions. I will inform the trip leader of any medical condition (current or previous) that may affect my ability to partake in the activity. In the event of unforeseen circumstances (extreme adverse weather, poor light etc.) and/or circumstances beyond the control of the University of Bristol Canoe Club, it may become necessary to curtail or cancel an event or trip. Although unlikely, we regret that in the occurrence of such an event reimbursement of part or all of the costs will be based upon the nature of the event and the ability of the club to recover costs outlaid. Please speak with a member of the committee if you have any questions.
You must be able to swim a minimum of 25m in order to join UoBCC
Membership Fee Inclusions
Your membership fee covers hire of kit. Additional expenses (eg for petrol) are usually required for trips.
Service Standards
All Club or Society members can expect to receive:
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The opportunity to attend regular meetings, events, activities, trips and socials as arranged.
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The opportunity to stand for a committee position or vote in their elections (Bristol students only).
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The opportunity to attend regular training sessions and have the opportunity to be selected for the teams with canoe polo.
Code of Conduct
When joining a club or society you are agreeing to abide by the constitution, general rules, regulations and policies of University of Bristol Students’ Union and also the Club or Society Code of Conduct which sets out the level of behaviour & discipline expected of all Club & Society members.
Refund Policy
Any customer who pays for a membership subscription to a Bristol SU Society, Sports Club, Student Media and initiatives has a 14 day cooling off period from the time and date of purchase during which they have the right to cancel the subscription and receive a full refund. If you do decide to cancel within the 14 days, Bristol SU will refund your payment within a further 30 days of the cancellation. To request a refund please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk
Data sharing
Please be aware that Bristol SU may share data relating to the members of its sports clubs with the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health (a department of the University). This information may be used for the purposes of communicating direct with these members and/or to cross-reference against SEH's Sports Pass membership records.
As part of Bristol SU's membership of British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Bristol SU may have to share data on to its sports clubs members so BUCS can, from time to time, communicate with these members.
For more information on Bristol Hub visit: http://www.bristolhub.org.
If you do not want your details shared with the Hub please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk.
These terms shall be governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Nothing in these terms shall exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
