Sport England Grant

Registered Company No 2612775

Members of Halifax Canoe Club are celebrating a grant which will help more of its member race in the exciting Olympic sport of canoe slalom.

The club has securing a Grant of £7,200 from the Sport England’s Small Grants programme which has funded the purchase of a fleet of new slalom kayaks and canoes for the club. The eight kayaks and two canoes have now been delivered and have gone straight into use on canoe slalom training sessions ahead of the forthcoming racing season.

The new boats will help club paddlers be more competitive when they race, and rules of the sport changed a few years ago allowing new boat designs that make the Club aims to have kayaks and equipment to fit all children and adults who want to try canoeing, but has increasingly found it difficult to accommodate larger adults.

Les Ford the club’s slalom coach explains “Having the latest designs of boats will mean our paddlers can be much more competitive in races and hopefully improve their performances and results. We are already seeing improvements in training after only a few weeks. So we hope we’ll have some good performances and success once the racing season starts”

The project that has funded the new equipment aims to get more club member participating and racing more regularly. To do this the club is increasing the amount of canoe slalom coaching available to its members both in training at the club and on race days, as well as providing the opportunity for all its members to take up slalom racing. One of the first chances for members to race the in the new boats against others will be at the club’s own Sowerby Bridge site when they play host to a national ranking slalom event on 20th & 21st March.

Sport England’s Small Grant Scheme uses National Lottery funding to support local community sport projects which seek to increase participation, sustain participation or develop opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport

Anne Boyd, Sport England’s Regional Lead for Yorkshire, said: "Athletes of all abilities need the right equipment so that they can take up a sport, play and compete to their full potential. These new canoes and kayaks will really help to get more local people taking up canoe slalom.”

For more information on this speak to Les Ford ( 01484 854099 or email