Its time for Access Not Process
Canoe Wales Launches the Access Supporters Scheme
Canoe Wales has
launched an Access Supporters Scheme, which is aimed at paddlers who either
paddle in Wales, or simply wish to support the activities of Canoe Wales in
generating further facilities for Paddlesport and most importantly in pressing
for the introduction of legislation in favour of access to and along the inland
waters of Wales.
The Access Supporters package is available now, and will be open
to all those who wish to support the Access Development work of Canoe Wales.
The cost of the Package will be £20 per annum and all monies
raised will be ring-fenced for Access Development Work.
To secure CRoW the Ramblers Association needed 11 full time
staff. Unfortunately partnership funding is relatively unavailable for this and
so Canoe Wales are trying to engage with sympathisers to our cause by launching this
access supporters package.
The Access Supporters Package includes the following Benefits:
-
Money Ring-fenced for Access Development
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Enrolment on the Canoe Wales/ WSA Sport’ers Benefits site
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Discounts on Canoe Wales Supplies other than personal performance
tests and awards / certificates
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Ability to attend the Canoe Wales’s Access Forum and events.
-
Access Enews Letter if subscribed
-
Access Supporters Card
Please note that the Access Supporter's package does not
include:
To acquire these you must become a member of your relevant home
nation national governing body to receive these. (Wales -
join Canoe Wales as a member, Scotland join
SCA, Northern Ireland join
CANI and England
join Canoe England)
Press release Snowdonia Active:
Welsh Minister takes to the Water and becomes
first Access Supporter
10/06/2006
Alun
Pugh, Clwyd West AM and Minister for Culture, the Welsh Language and Sport
celebrated his fifty-first birthday in style yesterday with a paddle on the
Conwy Estuary.
Well known as an advocate of outdoor activities and a keen
mountaineer, having climbed the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, Mr Pugh was invited
by Canoe Wales to join a Colwyn Canoe Club evening meet to
increase awareness of the sport and provide a chance to put forward some of the
issues affecting it.
Having only kayaked once before on a flat lake many years ago,
the Minister was under the safe tutelage of Open Canoe Coach Ian Roberts, who
runs a local commercial operation offering open canoe tours for groups
(www.iancanoeguide.co.uk). A raft of
two canoes tied together ensured there were no unplanned capsizes.
The small flotilla of boats headed towards the sea under
Telford's bridge in the shadow of Conwy Castle as far as the marina, before
cutting in to the incoming tidal stream and letting it do most of the hard work
getting everyone back to the start.
Following his trip on the water Mr Pugh said: "It was tremendous
fun in a stunning location and the potential for further developing it as a
tourist adventure activity was obvious." He added: "Being able to put all your
luggage in the boat and go on a river journey was the equivalent of putting a
big rucsac on your back and going for a stomp in the hills."
Back on terra firma, Phil Blain, Chairman of Canoe Wales, presented Mr Pugh with honorary membership of their Access
Supporters group to be launched on the 24th June.
Mr Pugh's paddle coincided with the good news that Cardiff
Council have approved in principle plans for an Olympic standard white-water
rafting and canoe slalom complex to be built at the site of the International
Sports Village in Cardiff Bay, due for completion in 2010 ahead of the 2012
Olympics. It would be the only Olympic standard pumped white-water venue in the
UK.
AM Alun up the creek with a paddle
Clwyd West AM Alun Pugh took to the waters last week as a group
of paddlers got together on the banks of the Conwy under the castle.
Mr Pugh had accepted an invitation from Colwyn Canoe Club to
come afloat with the group and experience using a canoe to enjoy the outdoors
and to see how Canoeing could play a part in the Climbing Higher Strategy. Also
present were members of Llanrwst Canoe Club, Canoe Wales staff and directors. The group
headed past the castle and up against the tide, enjoying a warm summers evening.
The party consisted of two pairs of rafted canoes, some individual open boats,
touring kayaks and whitewater boats. Mr Pugh was offered the first and honorary
membership of the Canoe Wales's Access Supporters membership by Phil Blain, Chair of
Canoe Wales. This section of membership to the Canoe Wales is to further
access to non-tidal water in Wales by means of primary legislation.
Mr Pugh said "It was a great evening on the Conwy and all
involved enjoyed a great paddle. I am not a regular canoeist and this was my
first time on the Conwy Estuary. It is one of the most beautiful places of Wales
and in the middle of the Estuary, you get a different perspective."
Mr Charlwood, Access Development officer Canoe Wales said "It was a
fantastic evening to be afloat, and great to see such a wide range of people
enjoying one of the natural resources Wales has to offer and what makes Wales a
place to visit for many adventure tourists. The surprise that water is hard to
access given the scope in Wales is often profound, and it gave Mr Pugh a chance
to see, first hand, how limited the opportunities are in his constituency.
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