Who are we?
Herts Canoe Club is a paddle sports club for people to come together to canoe and kayak on the beautiful local waterways of Hertford and Ware. Run by volunteers, we offer a range of activities - from beginners courses and taster sessions with our experienced coaches, to skills clinics and whitewater trips for adrenaline seekers! We are a friendly and social club, with about 100 members from all over Hertfordshire and Essex.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are crowdfunding to raise much needed funds for new equipment. Many of our current boats are at the end of their usable life, having been patched up many times over the years! Our kit is used by everyone on our popular 'learn-to-kayak' beginners courses, as well as existing members. As our club grows, more people try kayaking and join the club, we are in need of more high-quality boats and equipment. Having boats and equipment available to borrow means people don't need to buy their own - keeping the costs as low as possible for everyone. The equipment purchased now will last for many years to come, enabling us to continue to grow and introduce more people to the sport!
How we’ll spend the money raised
We'll purchase new boats, helmets, cags and spray decks.
Your donation will mean that we can keep the club running, offering high-quality equipment for many years to come.
Community impact
We offer kayak and canoe taster sessions and kayak beginners courses for the local community, so people can come and try out paddle sports. We have experienced coaches who volunteer their time to teach people. Each year we have space for 50 beginners. We keep the costs as low as we can for all our activities, and we are run on a not-for-profit basis. We also offer free taster sessions at local events, including the annual Teddy Bear's Picnic event in Hertford. None of this would be possible without the club boats and equipment.
Our club brings people together from across the region and we have a strong sense of community. People of all ages and from all walks of life, who wouldn't have otherwise met, are brought together by a shared love of water sports and form lasting friendships.
Beyond sport and recreation, our club also regularly clear the River Lea of debris and litter - keeping our community spaces clean and free from pollution. On our recent clearing we removed everything from fallen branches to shopping trollies (we even rescued an unopened packet of bacon).
(River clearance, March 2024)
How you can help
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!