Club Activity | Minimum Age | Safeguarding | Juniors Policy and Code of Conduct
The Club has a large number of junior paddlers of different ages and abilities and who are welcome to join in most aspects of the Club. For their safety and wellbeing special rules apply to junior paddling to ensure proper supervision and support for juniors at all times.
Under 18s are required to provide the Membership Secretary with an Experienced Juniors Consent Form signed by a parent/carer and the junior’s coach or leader before they are permitted to paddle racing craft without a buoyancy aid.
Club Activity
All club activity is supervised by coaches and leaders who have been authorised by the club, and who take responsibility for the session. Unaccompanied juniors may paddle on club activity that is suitable for their ability, unless the session is described as for adults only.
Club activity will have an advertised start time. The club only takes responsibility for juniors from the start time and when the junior has been presented to the coach or leader. Before that time the parent / carer retains responsibility for their child.
Club activity may have an advertised finish time, from which time the parent / carer resumes responsibility for their child. If no finish time is advertised the parent / carer should liaise with the coach / leader to ascertain the time when they should collect their child.
Juniors are welcome on club trips as the coach / leader will have made safeguarding arrangements to enable juniors to attend. Parents / carers are recommended to meet the leader of the trip to familiarise themselves with what the trip entails and to check that their child is ready to undertake the trip.
Minimum age
The Club welcomes junior paddlers and is pleased that they wish to take up the sport.
The club has considered the various activities which take place within club activity and has set the following minimum ages. All activities are subject to the junior paddler being able to manage the session, and they should be confident swimmers.
| Section | Activity | Children accompanied by parent / carer on the water | Children with a parent remaining in the vicinity to take charge of the child if necessary | Unaccompanied children |
| Recreation | Club trips | Age 10 | n/a | Age 13 |
| Recreation | Evenings* | Age 10 | Age 11-12 | Age 13 |
| Recreation | Day time | Age 8 | Age 8 to 12 and once the child has passed Paddle Discover Award | Age 13 |
| Recreation | Specific day time juniors session | Age 6 | Age 8 to 12 and once the child has passed Paddle Discover Award | Age 13 |
| Racing | Evenings* | Age 10 | Age 11-12 | Age 13 |
| Racing | Day time | Age 10 | Age 12 | |
| Racing | Specific day time juniors session | Age 8 | Age 10 |
*Evening meetings normally meet at 6.15pm and may not get off the water until 9pm
Safeguarding
The Club has various policies in place to support and protect children. You may also wish to be reassured by looking at our Safeguarding Policy.
The Club coaches and leaders have appropriate first aid, safety and safeguarding training. Where necessary, they are vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Juniors Policy and code of conduct
We advise that parents read our Junior Paddlers policy, as well as our code of conduct for Juniors and Parents.