Building Opportunities
During 2025, The Sharks have undertake a massive project to create something special in Thamesmead, a Water Sports Facility with a difference, and in the last few months we have been investing.
What are we doing?
We have taken on two projects and facilities in Thamesmead. At Southmere we are using the Boathouse and have started a kayaking and canoeing facility there. Our objective for 2025 was to get activities happening and we have certainly managed that with over the past few months with large numbers of people turning up to: Regular Sessions, Holiday Clubs, Special events, and races.
Our canoeing and kayaking sessions will continue through the Winter months on Saturdays at 10am.
What We Will Do?
This is the much more exciting question and the answer is investing in the long-term future of the project, with boats and equipment arriving all the time.
We are getting a variety of different types of boats at the site, so we can offer a wide number of options and experiences for people; including comparative boats for racing; slalom boats and white water boats.
During 2026, we will be establishing more sessions, giving participants the opportunity to try the different disciplines and to enter local, regional and national competitions in Marathon, Slalom, Sprint and Wild Water Racing.
We will host a number of event days, for races and competitions, we already hosted a race in September 2025.
We are looking for funding partners to help us improve the facilities, so we can offer more, we have been working very closely with Peabody Trust, who paid for our free Autumn half-term sessions.
We have secured funding from Active Thames, part of the Port of London Authority, they will be subsidising sessions, so we can keep the cost of participation down. They are Also paying towards people to start training as instructors: Are you interested? Then email us: thamesmead@thesharks.org.uk. We pay quite well and we will be needing more and more instructors as we grow to be the best Club there is. Come and join us.
The Slalom Committee of Paddle UK, the sports governing body has pledged money towards a permanent flat water training course at Southmere.
We are currently investigating the prospect of brining Canoe Polo to Southmere.
We will also be launching our Open Water Swimming project at Birchmere in 2026.
There is so much going on, but we can only do this with your help, your input, it is your club, please get in touch, tell us what you want and help us build the project.
The Sharks is a not-for-profit club, and we are owned and run by our membership, that is you. We need you to ensure we deliver the best possible facilities and opportunities for Thamesmead, so please get in touch, email us: thamesmead@thesharks.org.uk. The more help we have the better and bigger we can grow.
Published Saturday November 30th 2025