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Thank you all for your comments and suggestions following our consultation day on 10th September and from your riverside chats with Michelle during club nights. Our management committee has met twice to go through them all and have commented on them as shown in bold below.
Please note that we have removed duplications so if you cannot see your comment/question below it is because it has been covered in another comment.
The committee has drawn up a short list of items that require significant spending for further discussion, and this can be found at the end of the document. Please note that not all the items in the consultation require spending, or very much spending. Many of your suggestions will be addressed as and when appropriate, as noted in the comments in bold. These low or no cost items have not been itemised in the list of priorities listed at the end of this document.1. New coach training: Can potential coaches be in an assisting role before attending recognised courses? –British Canoeing no longer support the Paddlesport Assistant role. However, there is nothing stopping GSCC from devising our own scheme. Steve Burnett (SB) to look at this further. Iain Cameron (IC) to compile a draft policy to include safeguarding. See also item 19.
2. More trips: e.g. white water and sea. Any relevant equipment purchased accordingly – We are limited to what we can do on white water due to not having enough suitable qualified coaches, but we have an open invitation to go with Kingston Kayak Club on their trips.
We will look at signposting to other clubs that can offer activities (i.e. sea kayaking).
The Trips officer role is vacant on the committee, it was suggested by Hazel that a small team take up this role – Could be a volunteer role and not necessarily a committee post – We’ll put a post out to ask for volunteers.
3. A few more SUP’s to be purchased – Possibility but would require more coaches to run more SUP instruction.
4. Could there be a satellite base near some white water? – This is not practicable; it would be 2 hours away and would limit the choice of venue for future trips
5. Would it be feasible to have club minibus? – Currently not feasible – We can cover reasonable costs for transportation. (i.e. reimburse fuel for people towing the club trailer)
6. Can people be paid to go to events? – We can pay external qualified coaches/trainers to lead a trip of provide additional coaching, but all GSCC coaches are unpaid volunteers
7. Are all events for the year available on club calendar? – Yes, but do people know how to find the calendar? Martin Heywood (MH) to remind people what information is available on our website. Gail Shoulder (GS) said she will document events on the whiteboards when we are back in the boathouse.
8. A few days clearing at the boathouse, getting rid of old stuff, clearing up sorting out storage and making a sitting area – Agreed that we need to get rid of old equipment –Recycling of boats? Possible skip hire cost? Tidy-up weekend to be organised. Kit that is not club kit needs removing. (except coach’s boats which are allowed to be kept and are made available for club use on session nights). See also item 29.
9. Litter picking to be a regular event – Yes, we’ll arrange days.
10. Purchase new boats to replace the ones we are leaving at the leisure centre all year. Suggested by several – This has been agreed by the committee and quotes have been obtained by IC – We are to look at storage facilities at the Leisure Centre, can we use the end storeroom (in the pool hall) all year?
11. Lengthen the summer season to spend more time having sessions on the river – Can look at this but is dependent on coaches.
12. More information re national events please – This can be accommodated by adding these national events to the club calendar.
13. Club holiday, could we have a week away – Could possibly be a weekend? Recruit volunteers to organise. Is feasible but need more support from volunteers to help organise.
14. Improvement of inclusive access – Will require planning permission in place before applying for funding. We can use some of club money to get the planning permission in place ready. Changing facilities: look at individual cubicles as these would be beneficial for improving safeguarding. See also item 29.
15. Does the club need CCTV; a parent could do this if needed – Not at present. Would need to register with ICO (Information Commissioners Office)
16. Can we pay fees via direct debit? Do we need to be given receipts as feel it causes more work for bookings officer and would reduce queues at bookings desk – We have a limited number of BACS transactions – Bank and accountants advice is not to go down this route. Will review in the future. Receipts do need to be given for club records.
17. Can we have order forms/regular months for ordering club clothing – GS/MH to add clothing list to website. Could have a sample of vest, tee shirts, hoody, hats at the boathouse for people to see? Possible to have set times for ordering? Is there a minimum number of orders required to place an order?
18. More Ergos please and circuit training to continue during non-kayak evenings –Not feasible at present. They are expensive and we have limited space available for them. See also item 29
19. More coaches for marathon training – There are marathon coaching courses available, but they are down south. We also have 5 coaches already who can take marathon sessions. See also item 1.
20. Slalom equipment – Equipment needs to be looked at to see if fit for purpose.
21. Fill the potholes in please and do footpath from boathouse to river: mentioned by several people – Agreed these were required. Balfor Beatty have been working on the power station using our car park and have filled in some of the holes in the road using 20mm pebbles. This is only a temporary solution and we still need a better long-term solution. A parent has said next year he would be happy to fill in any potholes around car track, he also said he can put stud walls in if needed for any improvements/changing facilities etc.
22. Can we link up individuals with others so they can attend events at other clubs/day trips etc? –Better signposting to clubs that are offering events.
23. Pink club shirts Not at present.- Club colours (blue) are registered with British Canoeing (for competitive events)
24. Can we have canoe jousting? – Not at present.
25. Jetty at Broughton? – Fishing pegs exist at Broughton which are suitable to launch from. There is also a car park at Broughton bridge (2m height restriction)
26. External security fenced area to store trailers, thus freeing up room in boathouse for extra boat storage. May need CCTV. May need to keep katakanus inside still, rather than leave them visible on trailer outside. –Discussed elsewhere, see item 29.
27. Broadband/portable router to provide multi-user internet access. (For benefit of non-paddlers and debit card payment if we go down that route) – Debit card payments are not a possibility at present. – Many people can use a phone for internet access
28. Design study to investigate suitability of existing building and foundations for a mezzanine – It would cost a lot of money upfront (£1600+VAT for bore holes and soil analysis and £1500+VAT structural analysis by chartered engineer). Not feasible at present bearing in mind N Lincs council comments on using their facilities. (Failed levelling-up bid)
29. Re-arrange boathouse:
• To increase boat storage capacity (for new club boats and private boats (see item)): – Is there a possibility of getting rid of trailers to make more room? – one to sell? More people are willing to use their own vehicles with our V bars.
• To form multi-function room (for gym work and courses/meetings etc): – There are facilities at the Leisure Centre that they are keen for us to use, (hence us not getting recent Levelling up funding bid). To discuss with Leisure Centre
• To provide better changing facilities (Better safeguarding). Achievable by insulating walls, adding insulated suspended ceiling, new lighting and heating, and/or changing cubicles. – Agreed this was a priority and to be discussed further.
• To provide better disabled access – Agreed we need better disabled changing, and better disabled access inside and outside the boathouse. MH has contacted North Lincs Council for further discussions but no response as yet.
• To provide more tables and chairs, make it more of a communal area? (Behind the kitchen). Lockers and new changing rooms would also stop equipment being dumped in communal areas. A more permanent Hand Cleaning facilities for paddlers when they get off the river. – We would need to invest to have a café area.
30. Can toilets to be hired for large events? look at disabled toilet instead then everyone can use it – Yes, disabled toilet can be hired for events.
31. Assuming boat storage room can be increased, have an area for personal boats (racing boats are too long to keep at home for most people). This will generate income: say 20 boats maximum at £2 per week = £2000 per year income – If boat storage room can be increased and if storing private boats is approved by the committee, perhaps an annual fee rather than weekly fee is more manageable (Amount to be decided). Insurance: GSCC would not be responsible for personal equipment. Access (Keyholder situation): Private boats would only be accessible on the club days.
32. Autism and other neurodevelopment: can we create supportive zones, provide explanations/videos based on social stories that explain what the club is like, the activities available – Invite parents (of autistic paddlers) in to help with how to help. We need to be able to understand the needs of children who have autism, and their parents are the best people to inform us.
33. Reduce plastic i.e., paper sweet bags people bring their own reusable containers – Paper bags are not ideal for paddlers with wet hands. – Reusable containers for sweets: could people bring their own tubs for sweets?
34. If we do fast-moving water, we will need new foot plates/rests – Not many club boats are of WW spec – Supplying with adjustable footrests: Can the boats we are potentially going to order be provided with adjustable footrests? We must go with what manufacturer supplies. More investigation required for more information.
Priorities for further discussion by the Committee. (significant spend items only)
1. New boats: Quotes have been obtained.
2. Paths and access: North Lincolnshire council (our landlords) have been contacted.
3. Changing facilities: To be further discussed at committee.
4. Boat storage: To be further discussed at committee.
5. Improve communal area: To be further discussed at committee.