Guidelines on coordinating or running a club trip

Grading of club trips

List of leaders and coaches who are approved to run club trips

All paddling run by the club should have a named coordinator / leader / supervisor. If you have an idea for a paddle, please volunteer to coordinate it by sending an email to website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk and asking for advice. An approved "Club Paddle" will always appear on the club calendar and will therefore be covered by the clubs third party liability insurance. Once approved and on the calendar or if you have run the trip before, you can send out an email to the google group using the template guidance below.

LCC Covid-19-Risk-Assessment

LCC Docks Risk Assessment

An organiser or coordinators role is:

to contact website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk to ask for the paddle to put on the club calendar
to provide a contact point for any enquiries.
to collate a list of names and email addresses for those wanting to paddle or attend.
to disseminate information about the trip especially the level of experienced required.
coordinate any report or write-up for the newsletter.
to delegate the trip leadership to a suitable person(s). This should be considered during the planning stages and included when asking for the trip to be put on the club calendar. For club weekends this may just mean pointing people towards more experienced members on the weekend.

Click for template to use for Google Group Email advertising a trip or paddle........

Template

Summer moving water club sessions – In the summer, the club regularly has an evening session (Wednesdays) at a moving water venue. There will normally be a coach in attendance, or at least a very experienced paddler. You will be operating under their (or a delegated leaders) direct supervision the whole time. These sessions provide a fantastic opportunity to learn and practice moving water skills.

Flat water trips – Time in a boat is always time well spent and these are a great way to build experience and confidence. If you don’t see what you want / need, speak to other club members face to face or put out an e-mail, and you will normally find someone who is up for a paddle.

When describing trips we use the international river grading system or Sea grading system used in many guidebooks. Click here for club grading system.

Members are reminded that when they joined the club they would have read and accepted the warning that "canoeing is an assumed risk activity." In particular, attention is drawn to paragraph 14.2 from our constitution.

14.2. In participating in activities related to outdoor pursuits, members and prospective Members are responsible for their own safety and well-being. The club as a body, the officers of the Club and the members and prospective Members will not be held responsible in law should accident, injury or death befall Members or prospective Members voluntarily enjoining in such activities. Before becoming a Prospective Member a waiver of any claim against the club must be signed by applicants who must also agree to abide by the club constitution and guide lines. Individuals are advised to seek advice related to insuring themselves against mishap.

If in doubt about the suitability of the trip, please ask the coordinator / organiser or a club member you trust. If you don’t see what you want – organise it!
If you are not sure where to go for a venue, look on the venues page of the website or look at past trips in the newsletters. Alternatively ask other club members for advice.

If you don’t feel like a full trip, small venues like Llangollen / Chester or sheltered beaches or Estuaries - Llandudno / Conway make great practice venues! Also, don’t just paddle, work it! Catch the eddies, surf the waves and play in the hole. Remember, a lot of knowledge we learn from other paddlers and by simply doing!