Newsletter March 2005

Club Membership Fees [back to top]

Annual membership subscriptions - Will become due in April, and you will receive a notification with the printed version of this newsletter. Once again membership fees have been held at the same level as last year.	Family Membership	-	£55
	Adult Membership	-	£20
	Junior Membership	-	£15

Session fees - Similarly session fees for general, coaching, and fun sessions at Chatburn Water will be held at the same level as last year. Also as last year the Junior Family Ticket, will be capped for a member family with more than 2 juniors. So for a family with more than 2 children the cost for the children will not exceed £10, regardless of the number of children.	Members	-	£4
	Non-members	-	£10
	Junior Family Ticket	-	£10

The club's management committee trusts that members will agree that the annual subscriptions and session charges continue to represent excellent value for money, with particular regard to the length of the sessions, the quality of the coaching service, and the improvements to the facilities and equipment during the course of the past year.

A total of 39 new kayaks and various items of paddling equipment including buoyancy aids, helmets, spray decks and cagoules were acquired by the club during the last year, funded through the normal activities of the club, membership fees, and grants. During the winter break both the male and female changing room floors have been resealed, and new drains fitted, to allow water to drain away from the floor, rather than having to be mopped up!

Plans for the forthcoming year include the purchase of new open canoes, further paddling equipment to replace much of the old stock, 10 new "infant" kayaks for some of our very younger and smaller members, installation of new canoe polo pitch(es) and flat water slalom courses, and lastly we hope to be able to extend the building by erecting an extension to the current boat store.

The management committee considers these plans to be ambitious, but achievable. Clearly the finance for these projects needs to be found, and several funding bodies have been canvassed, but a large part of the funding needs to come from the normal operations of the club. To that end costs will be managed effectively, and members are asked to please renew their membership promptly, and without the club having to incur the costs of sending reminders and chasing fees.

The committee are dedicated to working on behalf of members to improve facilities, and the canoeing experience at Clitheroe Canoe Club. If all the plans for the year come to fruition The Committee fully expect this year to set the club in a very strong position for its future development on behalf of its members.

The committee will positively encourage membership and welcome new members, and will continue to encourage all members (and families) to be involved in all club activities.

Club Merchandise [back to top]

Look out for club merchandise. You will soon be able to buy fleeces, gillets, baseball caps, and beanie hats with the Clitheroe Canoe Club logo embroidered on. These excellent high quality fashion items will make you the envy of all your friends. Watch out for the official order form which will soon be available, and downloadable from the website.

Development of Clubhouse and facilities 2005/6 [back to top]

Those of you who have been coming to the club for the last few years will have noticed the improvements we have made to the facilities. The hot showers, heaters and generator were all installed over the last few years.

One area we have been trying to improve without too much success is the boat storage. A risk assessment done last year highlighted this area as one that needed improving. After many discussions, trials and further discussions we decided the only way to overcome the difficulties was to build a second store.

The main reasons for this were :	· Height of existing store
	· Number of boats now owned by club
	· Boats being stored outside
	· Boats being stored under building
	· Storage of clothing
	· Re-siting generator

Plans have been drawn up and planning permission gained for the new store which will be built on the side of the existing store. Architects drawings can be viewed by clicking on the image on the right. The new store will have a floor area of 32 square meters and will be 2.5 to 3 meters high allowing boats to be stored on end. This type of storage will make it easier to handle the boats and take up less room. The existing store will be used for the open boats and longer craft we have currently stored outside.

[click to enlarge]

We believe these improvements will make our facilities safer and easier to use, which has got to be good news. It is hoped to commence building work in April, and if all goes well, the build will take no longer than 2 weeks. The estimated cost is about £6000 which we think is good value for money and hope you will agree represents a real improvement to our facilities.

Canal Trips [back to top]

A couple of canal trips have been organised for Sunday 3rd April, and Sunday 1st May. For both trips we will be meeting at the clubhouse at 9:30am, the cost will be £3.00 per paddler, to be paid on arrival at the clubhouse. It is not possible to accurately estimate a finish time as this would very much depend on the capabilities of the paddlers in the party (and how slowly they eat!). Parents and partners are particularly welcome, not only to help with transport of people and boats, but also perhaps try a paddle for themselves.

Canal trips are an excellent opportunity for paddlers to enjoy a journey through the countryside, and extend their experience on flat water beyond the distances allowed for by Chatburn water. Trips are suitable for paddlers of all ages and all are welcome. Parents of children who wish to come can download a consent form from the website in advance if they wish to.

Please be mindful of the weather conditions on the day, and wear appropriate clothing. Canal trips are a full day out, so remember to bring a picnic, a warm drink, and a bottle of water or squash.

If you would like to go on either of these trips, need more detail For details or wish to book your place, please contact either:
Jim Nolan	-	(01200) 426816 or
Marie Heyworth	-	(01254) 822440

Chatburn Water quality and the ICREW Project [back to top]

During summer of last year, Chatburn Water was identified along with approximately 500 other sites in the North West as water used for recreational purposes by ICREW (Improving Coastal and Recreational Waters for all www.icrew.info) in association with The Mersey Basin Campaign and the Environment Agency. The purpose of the ICREW project is to carry out a systematic review of recreational and bathing waters across the North West, the very best sites achieving recognition as such, and possibly further investment to continue to improve them.

Following an initial site audit in summer, Chatburn Water was put through to the next stage of the project along with 75 other sites considered to be the top 40% of those sites audited. The next stage comprised of a 10 week water quality testing period. The water was tested for a range of chemical and biological factors that determine its suitability for bathing and water based recreation.

This year, ICREW have advised us that the sampling at Chatburn Water has shown it to exceed the requirements of EC regulations for recreational waters, and that they have now recommended that Chatburn Water move on to the final phase of the project which is to carry out a cost-benefit analysis to determine how the facility can be further improved, with possibly some funds being made available to support the improvements.

We will keep you informed as the project progresses.

North West Weekend [back to top]

For the past few years, Clitheroe Canoe Club has hosted The North-West Weekend on behalf of the British Canoe Union's North West Region. As in previous years, the event will be at the Teesside White Water Course near Stockton-On-Tees in County Durham. This year the event will be on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th May, which is the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. All canoe clubs from the North of England are invited to take part, including clubs from Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria, and Yorkshire.

The weekend comprises of one day of coaching in various disciplines including basic skills, river running, playboating, and slalom The other day comprises of competitions, and all attendees are positively encouraged to take part in all the disciplines; down river race, flat water slalom, polo, sprint racing (in a Wavehopper), and freestyle rodeo competition. Competitions are grouped for under 13s, under 16s, male adults, female adults and veterans. Prizes will be donated by Nookie.

During the whole weekend, Brookbank Canoes of Stockport will be on site with a van load of demo boats and equipment, so if you are thinking of buying something new, why not try before you buy?

The weekend is an excellent opportunity for paddlers of all ages and abilities to learn new skills and practice techniques in a safe and friendly environment. Above all the event has gained a reputation as a social and relaxed occasion and a great deal of fun for all who attend.

Make a note in your diary for this not-to-be missed event. You can come for one day, or both. There is a campsite at the whitewater centre, and several local motels and hotels should you wish to stay overnight. Costs will be £10 for each day, or £15 for both days. More details can be found on the website [here], or feel free to grab a coach or committee member, or Andy Noblett on (01254) 248457 to find out more.

Working Party "Spring Clean & Maintenance" [back to top]

Although the clubhouse, equipment, grounds and lake are regularly maintained. Once or twice a year we need to undertake some major works or time consuming maintenance tasks. These are better tackled by groups of members. We urgently need volunteers on Sunday 24th April - can you help? The day will start at 9.30am we aim to finish before 4.30pm. Any time you can spare will be greatly appreciated, even if you can only spare an hour!

Paddle party [back to top]

A date for your diaries even if it is a way off yet! On Sunday 3rd July there is going to be a paddle party at Chatburn Water. Brookbank Canoes will be there with lots of fancy boats to try and there's going to be a barbecue too. The day will cost £5 per person, and for that you will get a drink and a burger / hotdog / whatever else might have found its way onto the barbecue. So if you fancy a fun day in the (hopefully) glorious July sun then make a note of the 3rd of July.

Mags' Flapjack Recipe [back to top]

On a recent freezing trip down the Calder as one of a number of guinea pigs for a Level Three Coach assessment, I was introduced to Margaret Brayfield's home-made flapjacks. I and indeed all the group thought they were both delicious and provided the necessary energy to endure the inevitable rock smashing required to navigate the Calder! The ingredients can be found in the right-hand panel, the method is as follows: 1 - Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius, Gas Mark 5. 2 - Grease baking tray [13" x 9"]. 3 - Melt the margarine, sugar and syrup together in a LARGE saucepan. 4 - If making fruit flapjack, add the fruit etc. Stir the mixture well. 5 - Add the jumbo Oats and stir until the mixture is really mixed up [about 5 mins]. 6 - Tip into the greased baking tray, place on shelf in the middle of the oven and bake for 10 mins for the plain or 20 mins for the fruit. It should be a dark golden brown colour. 7 - Remove from the oven, score into pieces after 5 mins. 8 - I make 12 pieces per tray. When it is cool re-cut and remove from the tray.

Ingredients 2oz butter or margarine, 8 oz demerara sugar, 2 heaped tablespoons golden syrup, and 1 lb jumbo oats. A handful of each of: seedless raisins, dried apricots[chopped] dried dates[chopped], dried cranberries, banana chips [crunched up], quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Calder Canoe Centre Course Dates 2005 [back to top]

Course	Date(s)	Cost
Playboat Workshop - North Wales	Saturday 19th March	£65
BCU White Water Safety & Rescue - North Wales	Saturday 2nd & 3rd July	£110
BCU Aquatic First Aid	Saturday 23rd April Saturday 18th June Saturday 17th September	£45
Canoe Safety Test - Training & Assessment	Sunday 10th April Sunday 19th June Sunday 4th September	£45
Level 1 Kayak Coach - Training & Assessment	Sunday 13th March Sunday 29th May Sunday 18th September	£45
Level 2 Kayak Coach - Training	Saturday 9th & 10th April Saturday 2nd & 3rd July Saturday 29th & 30th October	£90
Level 3 Kayak Coach - Training	Saturday 26th & 27th November	£110
Level 2 Kayak Coach - Assessment	Sunday 8th May Sunday 16th October	£65
Level 3 Kayak Coach - Assessment	Friday 11th, 12th & 13th November	£130

A copy of the courses can be downloaded [here] - MS Word format 25Kb.

Other dates / courses available by arrangement - please call to discuss your requirements.

All Course Fees include BCU Certification and will be based in the Clitheroe area, unless otherwise stated.

Funding assistance for Voluntary Youth Leaders / Coaches may be available through Lancashire Council for Voluntary Youth Services - see www.lcvys.org.uk for eligibility and booking form.

To book contact Andy Noblett 01254 248457 or andyn@bluecarrots.com or
Martyn Hartley 01282 771011 (Office hours) or Mhartley@mhartley.fsbusiness.co.uk

Calder Canoe Centre is the joint Training Unit of the East Lancashire Canoe Clubs.
BCU Affiliated - Reg No 86117

New Coaches [back to top]

Congratulations to club members the BrayFields, Margaret and Glyn, who both qualified as Level 3 coaches in March. Also congratulations to Jim Nolan (pictured below) who has completed Level 3 training and to Christopher and Nevlle Willkinson on qualifying as Level 1 coaches.

Pool Session [back to top]

This years pool session have again been a great success with almost all fully booked. Whist the pool sessions will come to and end in April, just a reminder that there is one remaining fun and family/friend session remaining. The session will be run on Saturday 19th March [schedule here] and is intended as a fun (and warm) introduction to Kayaking and is open to the friends and family of members.

Simply turn up on the day of contact Marie Heyworth on (01254) 822440 for more details.

17:00 Family Fun 18:00 Friends & Fiends 18:30 Friends & Fiends

The cost for each session is £4.