Devizes Canoe Club

The Club was established about ten years ago and has held “Club Mark” accreditation since 2010. It was set up by a small group of paddlers and parents and was based outside at Devizes Wharf with a small lock up for storage. Over time we have acquired the site at Lower Wharf and with the help of our sponsors and the Canal and River Trust and Wiltshire County Council we have developed the Clubhouse, put up boat and equipment storage buildings, installed our changing rooms and created our canal access.

Since our inception we have acquired a fleet of general purpose kayaks and canoes, and a range of racing kayaks suitable for all ages as well as paddles, buoyancies and gym and training kit. We have run introductory courses for many paddlers and a large number of them have continued to be active Club members.

Partly due to our location we have run training courses for the Devizes to Westminster race since our inception and despite only starting to compete ten years ago we are now in the top three Clubs for race completions since 1985.

The Club also takes part in the Hasler marathon race series, the Waterside and Thameside series of races and regularly sends a contingent to the Liffey Descent race in Ireland. Club paddlers take part in National sprint regattas and we have a particularly strong Junior squad. Club paddlers have represented Great Britain in marathon and Wild Water Racing disciplines.

We have a group of British Canoeing qualified coaches who supervise and run training sessions with assistance from Club volunteers, and have training both on the canal and using our gym and ergo equipment on most days of the week (see Training link).

We also run regular social events including a monthly Club Grub night at the Club, an annual awards evening, barbeques and other events.

You can find us at Lower Wharf off Northgate Street in Devizes (see map). There is ample on street parking in and around Northgate Street. Parking at the Club is restricted to Duty Coaches.

Our Club Values

Our recent Quality Club review prompted us to refresh the club’s values. We asked a group of members to contribute and surveyed our membership to identify the values we want to uphold as a club.

Values are the underlying beliefs and principles that drive our policies, behaviours and actions. They inform our codes of conduct documents. These values were developed by DCC club members for DCC club members. They are ours and they are unique. Thank you to everyone who took part.

We value respect
We believe in development
We are committed to safety and wellbeing
We are a friendly and supportive community club everyone can enjoy

If you would like more detail on what these values mean in practice. Please download the DCC Our Values document.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Devizes Canoe Club is fully committed to the principles of equality of opportunity and aims to ensure that everyone has a genuine and equal opportunity to participate in Paddlesport at all levels and in all roles of the sport, irrespective of age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex and sexual orientation. In addition, the Club will endeavour to ensure that all are given the same opportunities regardless of their socio-economic background. This includes members, volunteers, participants, supporters, coaches and officials.

Our key message is that we believe in equality, diversity and inclusion. Everyone is welcome here!

Club Facilities

Located next to the canal with our own exclusive access we have everything you need to get on the water as easily as possible.

We have a single-story club building with ramped wheelchair access which includes an office, a large open plan area equipped with indoor paddling machines (ergos) and mirrors for training.

This houses our gym area with a multi-gym training apparatus, weights, benches, and other equipment. The building has a very well-equipped kitchen and a disabled access toilet suitable for wheelchair users.

In a modular building, we have separate men’s and women’s changing facilities, suitable for people with a wide range of disabilities who are not regular wheelchair users. These facilities include coin-operated showers (taking 20p and £1 coins).

Our extensive boat store is divided into club boat storage for K1s and K2s and private boat storage for 40-50 members boats for which we charge an annual storage fee. Storage is on a first come first served basis so you may find there is a short waiting list.

We have exclusive canal access which enables us to get a number of boats onto the canal at once with direct access from the boat store.

Please note that the physical constraints of the site mean that we cannot yet offer wheelchair access to water level, although we can provide support for anyone with ambulant disability.

Once on the canal we have an uninterrupted 15 miles of paddling to the East whilst to the West is a range of locks leading to the Caen flight (useful for portaging practice!).

Boat Storage
Gym
Changing Rooms
Kitchen
Canal Access
Disabled Toilet

Membership

If you are interested in joining Devizes Canoe Club please see our Membership page.

Members are entitled to the use of Club facilities and Club equipment at all supervised Club Sessions – see Training schedule

Club Sessions are supervised by a qualified coach so that help and advice is available.

The club facilities include the use of club boats, paddles and buoyancy vests during club sessions for those that do not have them. In time and as your knowledge and experience increase you will probably want to buy your own equipment. The Club can provide you with help and advice.

Club Structure

The clubs policies and procedures are available through the members menu which becomes available once logged in.

The Club is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a “CIO”) and registered with Charity Number 1156402. The Constitution and Rules are available to members here.

In accordance with the club’s constitution we hold an AGM every year, to which all members are invited. Important documents relating to the AGM, including the Trustees’ report to the Charity Commission, annual accounts and AGM minutes are now published in the members’ section here.

The CIO is run by a group of Trustees who are active Club members. The day-to-day running of the Club is in the hands of a committee, who are appointed annually at our AGM and meet monthly. Minutes of the meetings are available to members.

Details of the current members of the committee are on the Club notice board and within the members’ section of the website.

The Club coaches run our sessions. The coaching group meets regularly to discuss and plan delivery of the coaching programme. Opportunities are available for any competent paddler to join the coach development pathway.

Club Strategy

The main focus for Devizes Canoe Club (DCC) is flat water racing. This includes long-distance, marathon racing and sprints and we compete in local and national competitions. We have an active junior paddling programme, provide paddling opportunities to local schools and colleges and also offer recreational paddle touring and fitness training. There is therefore something for every paddler at DCC as you can see in our Strategy.

A British Canoeing Quality Club

In 2022 DCC achieved the British Canoeing standard as a Quality Club. This standard involves meeting around 90 criteria ensuring the club governance, safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion meet, or exceed, the highest standards.

Our Club policies and procedures including our Safety and Operating Policy and policies covering things like Social Media, Bullying etc are reviewed regularly and all available to members within the members’ section of this website.

THE CLUB