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Statement on Paddlesport Activity

Apr 12, 2020

SCA statement on paddlesport activity - 12th April 2020

This statement supersedes guidance issued on 25th March and 26th March 2020.

In light of the government’s Stay at Home measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and more recent requests from several organisations to do everything we can to reduce the burden on the emergency services, the SCA strongly recommends that all paddlesport activity on Scottish waters cease until further notice.

We recognise that some members will feel confident that they could paddle without impacting on the emergency services nevertheless we urge everyone to refrain from going out paddling at this time. The RNLI statement on 9th April 2020 and the HM Coastguard Blog demonstrate the types of pressures that organisations are under and the difficulties they face trying to maintain social distancing whilst carrying out their work.

Members of the public have been calling the emergency services after seeing people paddling, even when there was no need for them to be alerted. This has been placing an unnecessary burden on the emergency services and it risks people’s health through potentially exposing emergency personnel to COVID-19. It also reduces the ability of the emergency services to respond to future incidents, through the need for staff to self isolate.

We recognise that these are challenging times for us all and our first priority is the safety and health of everyone, as we do our level best to stop the spread of the virus. We really appreciate the level of creativity and innovation shown by many within our community to keep people connected, virtually, at this time. We are confident that we will emerge from this an even stronger community of paddlers.

The SCA is doing everything we can to support paddlers and we have arranged a series of webinars for the community to come together to discuss, share and learn more about our sport. The recent survey we carried out has informed the support we provide and we have already issued a range of guidance to members, clubs, providers and coaches and hosted several online events. Check out our news feed for more details. Please let us know if there is anything further you think we can do.


Government “Stay at Home” Guidance 
People are only allowed to leave their home for the following purposes:
  • shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
  • one form of exercise a day - alone or with members of your household
  • any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person and
  • travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home
These four reasons are exceptions and government advice is to minimise time spent outside of the home, ensuring you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household.


General Guidance
For general queries related to COVID-19, please follow government guidance:


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British Canoeing has confirmed the date for their 44th Annual General Meeting as Tuesday 12th March 2024 at 7pm . The AGM will be held as a virtual meeting Registration to attend the British Canoeing Annual General Meeting is now open The AGM Pack , including the formal notice, agenda, papers and key information, has been issued in advance of the meeting Closing date for registration of the AGM is 7pm on Sunday 10th March 2024.
07 Feb, 2024
We have two upcoming training opportunities for coaches wanting to become a provider of the Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course.
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09 Jan, 2024
Spaces are available to book for the All Ability session at the 2024 Scottish Women's Paddle Symposium, which will take place 17-19 May 2024 at Glenmore Lodge in Aviemore.
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18 Dec, 2023
Club Volunteer Conference: Supporting Volunteers in Clubs 19th-21st April 2024
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