PRESS RELEASES

14th June
 
21st Century Facilities for Burton Canoe Club
 
Burton Canoe Club is celebrating the opening of its brand new Club House on Friday 15th June at 2.00pm. Based on Newton Road Park at the north end of the Washlands the new Club House caters for all ages and abilities. The Club offers expert tuition and excellent facilities in a safe and friendly environment. The thriving Burton Club prides itself on being family orientated and is always pleased to see parents and their children developing their paddling skills and enjoying their canoeing together. The Club’s membership of over 140 members, ranging in age from eight to sixty plus, demonstrates its popularity!

The official opening is being held to mark the completion of the project that was funded through the Community Club Development Programme (CCDP), which has received tremendous support over the last four years from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Sport England, the British Canoe Union (BCU).

The total cost of the project is in the region of £420,000. The main grant awarded was from the BCU’s CCDP Portfolio, distributed by DCMS and managed by Sport England, who in June 2005 made an award of £375,000.The new club house includes: changing rooms, meeting rooms, boat storage and is now one of the best Club Houses located on one of the best sites in the region, if not nationally!

As well as being family orientated, the Burton Canoe Club offers opportunities to groups from local primary and secondary schools. It holds Sport England’s national Clubmark award ensuring it is Active, Accessible and Accredited and in addition has the British Canoe Union’s Top Performance and Top Community Club awards. There are four After School Clubs each week, supported by a Community Sports Coach, plus sessions for local scout and youth groups. The Club also has a well-established team of racing paddlers who compete in a range of regional and national events.

Other guests attending the opening include:

The RH Janet Dean MP
Robert Deacon (Director of Operations, BCU)
Alan Laws (Vice President, BCU)
Chris Hawkesworth (Facilities and Planning Manager, BCU)
Claire O'Hara (Sport England West Midlands)
Mrs Valerie Burton (Consolidated Charities)
Karen Bradford (West Midlands Regional Sports Board)
Mark Thornewille (Sport Across Staffordshire)
Jim Muir (Staffordshire County Councillor)
Vicki Brearley (ESBC Sport East Staffs)

Commenting on this project, Derek Mapp, Chair of Sport England said:

“The new facilities are a credit to the club and are a direct result of the tireless work of its volunteers. We want funds to go directly to the heart of community sport to encourage many more people to take part in sport more often, helping us to create an active nation. Facilities like this one, funded by DCMS through Sport England and via the national governing body CCDP Portfolios, will help us achieve our aims and I want to congratulate all concerned with the project.”

Club President Stuart Briggs stated that the club members recognise that the club now has some of ‘the best facilities in the region’. Speaking on behalf of all members he said:

“Members are overwhelmed by the generosity of the main grant and the support from local organisations. Many members have worked really hard over many years to provide paddlesport opportunities for young people and adults. This new, modern facility is such a massive improvement we are now in a much stronger position to provide a variety of pathways through paddlesport. Participation levels are already increasing quite significantly, and not just newcomers, but members paddling more often! Without a doubt we are a Community Club. We are now able to provide ‘Something for Everyone’!”
 
The day after the official opening, Saturday 16th June the new facilities will be open all day for friends, family and guests to have a look around, be introduced to the sport and perhaps even have a go! No equipment is needed, it is all supplied, changing facilities and refreshments are available, and so the only thing left is to have fun!

The weekend will be rounded off with the Annual Canoe Marathon races on Sunday. This regional event will see over 100 paddlers on the river competing for points in the national Haslar competition. This is a great opportunity to see some of the best paddlers in the Midlands representing their respective clubs. Burton will, of course, be well represented!

A great new facility and a great weekend of paddlesport in Burton! Paddlesport is here to stay!

Ends

Please contact the following club members for further information about the project:
Stuart Briggs – 01283 526575 or 0771 898 2091
or info@burtoncanoeclub.co.uk

Notes to editors:

1. CCDP - is an innovative collaboration between Government – the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England and National Governing Bodies (NGBs). As such, the programme is intended to address the needs of the backbone of England Sport, the community based sports club. It aims to bring with it flexibility to encourage creative approaches to enhancing club facilities and increasing and widening participation by members of the local community.
Please note that the funding is from the Exchequer and not from the National Lottery.

2. British Canoe Union – is the recognised national governing body for the sport of canoeing.

3. Sport England - is a non-departmental public body that distributes both Lottery and public funding to develop community sport. It is working to create an active nation through sport, providing advice to partners, investing in community sport and promoting sport and its benefits