Working Together makes us all Stronger

If your organisation is interested in exploring the possibilities please contact us on 07951 770241, email: canoeing@thesharks.org.uk.

The Sharks are proud of the partnerships we have made, our collaborative working has helped us grow and helped us and canoe sport reach further into the community. Our previous partnerships are listed here, many are ongoing and we proud to be working with …

British Canoeing –  We are affiliated to the Sport’s governing body, it enables to be involved in the competitive disciplines, provides us with insurance and they support us in running events and by providing the sit-on-tops we use at Osterley Park, loaning us portable paddling machines and helping us establish our award winning Satellite Clubs. We encourage all our member to also join British Canoeing.

National Trust – Working alongside the Trust, we are able to run our hugely popular and very successful family fun sessions at Osterley Park from April through to October. Help support this partnership by joining the National Trust. We make a donation to the national trust every time a person paddles at Osterley, just by having some fun you are helping the Trust preserve great places like Osterley Park for future generations.

Three Bridges Primary School – We run an after school canoeing club with School and teach core-time PE sessions during the Summer and Autumn Terms – Ofsted Report was outstanding, Our Southall base is at the school where we store kit and run community and club sessions. We are further developing our relationship with the School to see if it is possible for us to work together to provide more community opportunities.

Old Oak Common and Park Royal Development Corporation – One of our strategic partners in creating a canoe club based in NW10 (Harlesden/Park Royal). They have helped in a number of ways including funding, the partnership is developing as we are looking at how we can have a permanent built base in the area as part of the regeneration programme, in 2022 we are expecting some exciting developments.

Ealing Council – Our Partnership with Ealing Council has more than one string to it. they re being supportive in our plans to develop a permanent base in Southall, we are currently working with their Children’s University Scheme to get more youngsters active, this is helping us to explore a new project at Greenford Quay, watch this space! We also manage their London Youth Games Canoeing Team, which has won medals in recent years. Ealing Council has also given financial support in the past and has supported us in a number of projects in a practical way.

Greenford Quay has become our latest venture, and Greystar the company behind the development have been very supportive of us, we are mooring the Elsdale II boat there and using it as a clubhouse. The loan of the loan of the Elsdale is part of an exciting partnership with Groundwork. we are working together to bring the boat back into community use. This project has also been supported by Horsenden Primary School, whose pool we have been able to use to launch the site, and A J Sports.

Hillingdon Council – as well as managing their London Youth Games Canoeing Team, we have run many projects alongside Hillingdon’ Sports Development Team for many years, including running sessions for young carers. We have also attended events, activity days, come and try it sessions. We are also working with the Council’s planning team to establish facilities in Hayes. As well as supplying us with some kit.

Young Brent Foundation is a new partnership, which we hope will bring benefits to both organisations, but more specifically to young people in Brent. We hope to bring you more news of this partnership as it develops through the year.

Harlesden Primary School, have in 2022 started to bring youngers down to an afterschool club twice a week at our Harlesden site, we hope to continue to develop this partnership and introduce core time PE lessons in the future.

KSP London, have sponsored our afterschool project with Harlesden Primary School, and are supporting the development of facilities for us in NW10, working with the OPDC.

The Jason Roberts Foundation has also been working with us this Summer, providing new experiences for the community in Harlesden, this is something we are hoping to build on in the coming moths and years as we share the same philosophy.

Let’s Leap Sports Academy , based in Southall at Three Bridges School, Let’s Leap run holiday clubs for local youngsters and we work alongside them delivering paddling opportunities. Working with Let’s Leap has enabled us to provide opportunities for youngsters through the Ealing HAF (Holidays Activities and Food Programme.

Let’s Go Southall, Sport England funded organisation charged with getting the people of Southall Active, we are partnering them in running taster sessions on the canal in Southall. After running some pilot projects last year, we have been working behind the scenes to expand on the opportunities available for the people of Southall.

Canal and River Trust – we work with C&RT on a number of projects to get people involved with the Canal, these vary from come and try it activities alongside their events to helping with litter picks. We are working on a number of partnerships with C&RT to get people active and already in 2022, we have got 48 pupils from Harlesden Primary School on the water for a canal activity day in February! We are hoping now to build a new partnership with Harlesden Primary School . keep watching for news …

Colne Valley Regional Park Authority – we have started working with the Park authority to remove Floating Pennywort from the Colne Valley, which includes the River Colne and the Grand Union Canal, through which the Colne flows, which is what creates or Slalom facilities at Harefield. As well as working with the Colne Valley Park, this project attracted attention from the BBC’s Countryfile Programme and they came down to Harefield to do a feature on the programme to remove Floating Pennywort. This project is funded by Affinity Water’s INNS Out Scheme.

Sybil Elgar School for autistic youngsters – we provide kayaking sessions at Osterley Park for curriculum time PE activities

The Learning Tree, running holiday activities for youngsters  in Hounslow at Osterley Park

The Clancy Group support us in running the Division 4 Slalom at Harefield, by providing access to their site for car parking, camping, and the base for Control, they also donated portable toilet facilities for the weekend.