NORTH WEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM CONSULTATION REPORT September 2020 1 Contents What is the Regional Development Team and what is its purpose? ...................................................... 3 Who are the RDT? ................................................................................................................................... 3 Why did we undertake this Consultation?.............................................................................................. 4 How have we approached this Consultation? ........................................................................................ 4 What is the purpose of this Report? ....................................................................................................... 6 How have we gathered information during this consultation? .............................................................. 6 Follow up… .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Engagement and Statistics ...................................................................................................................... 7 Questionnaire ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Zoom Online Meetings ........................................................................................................................ 8 What has this Consultation told us? ................................................................................................... 9 Major Areas for Change or Action .......................................................................................................... 9 Communication ................................................................................................................................... 9 Action on Communication .................................................................................................................. 9 Inter-club Engagement ..................................................................................................................... 11 Action on Inter-club Engagement ..................................................................................................... 11 Development Opportunities for paddlers not involved in Coaching and Leadership ...................... 12 Action on Development Opportunities for paddlers not involved in Coaching and Leadership ...... 12 Representing Regional interests at British Canoeing ........................................................................ 14 Action on Representation to British Canoeing ................................................................................. 15 Coach & Leader Development .......................................................................................................... 15 Action on Coach & Leader Development .......................................................................................... 15 Female Specific Representation ........................................................................................................ 15 Action on Female Specific Representation ....................................................................................... 16 Bursary Scheme ................................................................................................................................ 16 Action on the Bursary Scheme .......................................................................................................... 16 Access, Waterways and Environment ................................................................................................... 17 Skerton Weir Fish Passage .................................................................................................................... 18 Coronavirus / Covid 19 .......................................................................................................................... 18 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 19 Distribution List ..................................................................................................................................... 35 2 What is the Regional Development Team and what is its purpose? A Regional Development Team (RDT) is a group of volunteers with an active interest in paddlesport and a desire to promote and support paddlers and clubs in the region – in this case the North West Region and which currently encompasses 26 British Canoeing affiliated canoe clubs. There are 12 Regional development Teams (RDTs) in England, each supported by and accountable to British Canoeing with limited funding provided against an annual Development Plan which must be approved by British Canoeing before funds are released to the RDT. RDTs draft their own Terms of Reference which must also be approved by British Canoeing and which are the governing document, defining how the RDT operates. British Canoeing appoints RDT Chairs (following regional voting at Consultative meetings). British Canoeing advertise and appoint the Regional Coaching Representative with RDTs being given the list of candidates and have the opportunity to put forward their first choice. Area Coaching Representatives and other roles and offices are elected to co-opted positions. RDTs act as a line of communication between regional paddlers and clubs and British Canoeing, representing their interests at the national level and providing support to paddlers and clubs at the regional level. The 26 affiliated canoe clubs have memberships ranging from the twenties to several hundred members. We enjoy a wide range of venues where paddlesport can take place, including lakes, canals, reservoirs, touring and whitewater rivers and coastal / sea paddling. Most of these venues are used by paddlers and clubs across the majority of paddlesport disciplines particularly by recreational paddlers who benefit from being able to access some of the most beautiful and diverse waterways in the country. Who are the RDT? The current RDT comprises of four members: Chair, Secretary (who currently takes on the duties of Regional Waterways Advisor and Safety Officer), Treasurer and Communications Officer. We also have a Regional Coaching Representative (RCR), appointed by British Canoeing and who supports the RDT in matters relating to coaching and leadership. Other RDT posts are filled by volunteers who may be elected or co-opted according to published Terms of Reference. This RDT would like to express its thanks to each and every club representative, club member and independent paddler who engaged in this consultation, be that by returning questionnaires, attending Zoom meetings, exchanging emails or taking time to discuss, sometimes over the course of several phone calls, various aspects relating to many areas of paddlesport. Without your time, effort and consideration, the entire exercise would have been pointless. 3 Why did we undertake this Consultation? Members of the RDT were individually becoming concerned that the Team was not functioning as well as it might. We all recognised that there was a growing lack of engagement with paddlers and clubs in the region and that communications between the RDT and the region was weak at best. We each felt that these matters would be resolved over time but when the then Chair resigned from the RDT we felt action needed to be taken. As our individual concerns were voiced it became clear that concerted action was needed, starting with a new Vice Chair being co-opted in order to give the remaining team legitimacy. British Canoeing then invited the Vice Chair to take on the role of RDT Chair to ensure continuity through to our next Annual Consultative Meeting scheduled to be held in November 2020. Our first decision was that we should consult with clubs and members in the NW Region in order to understand what they expected of their RDT and what kind of support they might need. Why? Because of the increasing level of disengagement we felt that we were out of touch with our paddlers and clubs and had very little understanding of the issues paddlers and clubs in our region faced. and whether they understood what the RDT might be able to do for them in terms of how it functioned or could deliver support across the region. It was also recognised that if we did not improve engagement with, and communications between paddlers and clubs in the region then the RDT would be unable to provide representation of, or support to paddlers and clubs, and thus serve no existential purpose. We had to make changes and those changes had to be meaningful, or at least be seen to have some value to paddlers and clubs in the region. The consultation process was started just before the Coronavirus lockdown hit and has been impacted by the changes this has forced on us all. In some ways it has delayed progress but perhaps in others it has enabled all involved to commit a little more time and focus than otherwise might have been the case. It is hoped that the findings from the consultation and presented in this report will shape the way in which the RDT, to be elected at November’s ACM, will continue their work, supporting paddlers and clubs in our region as we all find our way back into paddlesport in a somewhat changed world. How have we approached this Consultation? The primary purpose of this consultation was to gather information