British Canoeing, formerly known as the British Canoe Union (BCU) is a

national governing body A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or political entity. The most formal is a government, a body whose sole responsibility and authority is to make binding decisions in a taken ge ...

for

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

in the United Kingdom, established in 1936 as the British Canoe Union. In 2000 it federalised to become the umbrella organisation for the home nation associations in Scotland (

Scottish Canoe Association The Scottish Canoe Association ( sco, Scots Canoe Associe; gd, Comann Curach na h-Alba) is the national governing body for canoeing, kayaking and other paddlesport in Scotland. It covers all branches of the sport from recreational activities ...

), Wales (

Canoe Wales Canoe Wales ( cy, Canŵ Cymru) is the national governing body for paddlesport in Wales. It covers all branches of the sport from recreational canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and rafting to whitewater racing, slalom racing and wild ...

) and Northern Ireland (

Canoe Association of Northern Ireland The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI) was formed in 1964 and is the governing body for canoeing and kayaking in Northern Ireland. CANI is the Northern Ireland Division of British Canoeing. British Canoeing is the governing body fo ...

). In 2015 it took on the name British Canoeing and amalgamated the former BCU,

Canoe England In 2000 the British Canoe Union British Canoeing, formerly known as the British Canoe Union (BCU) is a national governing body for canoeing in the United Kingdom, established in 1936 as the British Canoe Union. In 2000 it federalised to bec ...

and GB Canoeing.

History

1887 saw the formation of the British Canoe Association, which lasted about thirty years. Revived in 1933, it merged with the Canoe Section of the Camping Club of Great Britain. In March 1936, representatives of the Canoe Section of the Camping Club, Clyde Canoe Club, Manchester Canoe Club, and the

Royal Canoe Club The Royal Canoe Club (RCC), founded in 1866, is the oldest canoe club in the world and received royal patronage in the 19th century. The club promotes canoeing and kayaking, focusing on flatwater, sprint and marathon disciplines. Members of the clu ...

, formed the British Canoe Union. It was incorporated as a company on 30, October, 1980. The BCU operated as a membership organisation for canoeists resident in England and worked in cooperation with its counterparts in the other home nations: Scotland (

– SCA), Wales (

), and Northern Ireland (

– CANI), at first informally and then through a series of agreements reached first in 1976 and most recently updated in 2018. The BCU rebranded as British Canoeing in 2014 and in the most recent agreement, British Canoeing undertook to resolve the role confusion caused by referring to its responsibilities exclusively for England as British, as well as its British responsibilities carried out on behalf of all 4 home nations. This much needed clarity is currently understood to be being progressed. ''Canoeing'' refers to the paddling of an open, non-decked craft (though there are decked canoes) propelled by a single-bladed paddle, generally in a kneeling position, while ''kayaking'' involves a closed-deck craft driven by a double-bladed paddle from a seated position. The term ''canoeing'' in the UK is often used generically to cover both kayaking and canoeing, in contrast to North American usage where the different terms are used. In 2014 the organisation started rebranding, “Going forward, the British Canoe Union, Canoe England & GB Canoeing will be known collectively as British Canoeing.” (http://www.bcu.org.uk/news/a-new-look-for-canoeing)

Function

British Canoeing is responsible for leading and setting the overall framework for the National Associations; representing canoeing interests such as coaching and competition at UK and international level. It formulates standards for training programmes with certification levels. It administers a range of personal performance awards and coaching awards, some of which are recognised by the UKCC.

Structure

British Canoeing is a membership organisation for canoeists resident in England and it also carries out certain UK-wide roles on behalf of itself and the other 3 home nation associations: The

, The

Welsh Canoeing Association Canoe Wales ( cy, Canŵ Cymru) is the national governing body for paddlesport in Wales. It covers all branches of the sport from recreational canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and rafting to whitewater racing, slalom racing and wild ...

, and The

, most particularly the training and organisation of international teams which participate in competitions under the control of the International Canoe Federation. It is concerned with all paddlesports, recreational as well as competitive, in open and closed craft, paddled with single and double-bladed paddles, on inland and coastal waters as well as open ocean. It is headquartered in National Water Sports Centre, Nottinghamshire, England, which was until recently also the base of

. Previously they were based in Bingham, Nottinghamshire. The organisation creates the rules for competitive canoeing used throughout the UK and has over 30,000 individual members, 625 affiliated clubs, and 145 approved centres. It is unique among national sporting certifying bodies in requiring continuous membership for qualifications to remain valid; thus its membership is not strictly voluntary and may not accurately reflect the organisation's popularity.

Waterways Licences

Many waterways in England and Wales are managed for boat traffic by a Navigation Authority. On these waterways all boat traffic, including unpowered craft such as rowing boats and canoes, require a licence. British Canoeing provides its members with a licence to use their canoes, kayaks, and SUPs on most of these managed waterways, including those managed by the two largest Navigation Authorities: the

Canal & River Trust The Canal & River Trust (CRT), branded as in Wales, holds the guardianship of 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, together with reservoirs and a wide range of heritage buildings and structures, in England and Wales. Launched on 12 July 2012, the ...

and the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

. This means British Canoeing's members do not need to buy separate licence from each authority.British Canoeing's Licensing Information Page
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Campaigns

British Canoeing has been attempting for over fifty years to increase the extremely limited public access to English and Welsh rivers. It recently started a

Rivers Access Campaign The Rivers Access Campaign is an ongoing initiative by the British Canoe Union (BCU) to open up the inland waterways of England and Wales to the public. Under current English and Welsh law, public access to rivers is restricted, and only 2% of a ...

which aims to raise public awareness of the problems that kayakers and canoeists face in accessing the rivers of England and Wales (the right to paddle on Scottish rivers is already written into the law). This campaign aims to bring about changes in the law for England and Wales similar to those now established in Scotland that will open up more rivers to the public. British Canoeing's official charity partner is the Canoe Foundation.

References

External links

*
Canoe Foundation – Official Charity Partner of the BCU and Home Nation Associations
{{Canoeing and kayaking

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

Canoeing in the United Kingdom Organisations based in Nottinghamshire Sports organizations established in 1936 Sport in Nottinghamshire 1936 establishments in the United Kingdom