Stafford and Stone Canoe Club have successfully applied for an award of £10,000 from The Arts and Sports Trust towards their Junior Coaching project and club equipment.
The well known club has been paddling on the River Trent in Stone for almost 50 years. In that time they have grown in stature and success, providing coached support to both Junior and Adult paddlers. Each year the club recruits a new group of junior beginners to the club and nurtures them through their learning of the sport. Many of these juniors go on to achieve places on the British Canoeing talent squads.
The club has become the most successful Canoe Slalom club in the UK, with many of it’s paddlers going on to become World and European champions, and Olympians. More recently Lizzie Neave (Semi Finalist London 2012), Joe Clarke (Gold Medallist Rio 2016) and Adam Burgess who will be representing Team GB in Tokyo 2021 Games.
The Arts and Sports Trust have been supporting junior paddlers at the club for many years with individual grants to athletes. They have helped many young athletes to aim for their dreams of achieving success in the sport.
The family run charity who have for many years supported children under the age of 18 to achieve the dreams in their chosen field of the Arts or Sports. They work with Organisations in the field of Arts and Sports who can recognise areas where they can help their members to realise their potential by lightening the financial burden that often accompanies the accomplishment of their aims.
In 2020 the charity changed it’s focus from awarding individual grants via organisations to awarding grants to organisations themselves. This would enable the organisations to fund projects that would be accessible to all juniors.
S&SCC Chairman Rob Holdway said: “Being able to support and encourage new junior members through a group of enthusiastic, qualified coaches, using equipment and a facility that remains fit for purpose, is critical to our success. Ensuring both aspects is a constant challenge. Therefore, obtaining this grant from the Arts and Sports Trust is very welcome and will help us make sure that we can continue to nurture the champions of the future and keep Stafford and Stone on the map as one of the top canoe clubs in the country“
Despite the restrictions over the past year due to Coronavirus the club successfully recruited a new beginners group having put in place socially distanced paddling sessions and other support
to keep the venue and its members Covid Free.
They are now putting in place their recruitment plan for juniors wanting to try out the sport at Taster Sessions this year and hope they will soon welcome to the club the Class of 2021!
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