About the Club

BSCC was founded in 1972 and gradually began to focus on flatwater racing. The club is funded principally by membership subscriptions and grass-roots fundraising. It is run entirely by the voluntary effort of its members, and there are many opportunities for non-paddling parents of junior members to become involved.
The club is run by a management committee (see committee list and contact details) and coaching is provided by our small team of volunteer coaches (see list of coaches and assistants).
Cllr Janice Elliot, Ian Wynne, and a representative from Evergreen pictured insice the boathouse
In 1995 the club was able to purchase a small plot of land beside Southmill Lock, about one mile south of Bishop's Stortford, and build a clubhouse with changing rooms, toilets and hot showers. We have a range of boats available at the club for members' use and a limited amount of storage for members' own boats. The building of a new boathouse (opened in 2013) also released space for an indoor exercise area.

In 2024 the Members of the club voted in favour of becoming a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), with 7 members of the existing management committee taking on the role of Charity Trustee. This was approved by the Charity Commission on 16 September 2024.

Our activity remains strongly focussed on flatwater sprint and marathon racing in kayaks and Canadian canoes. The club participates in the Eastern Region Hasler Marathons and was joint Regional Champion in 2018. Since 2011 BSCC has organised one of the annual Hasler Marathons (initially at Huntingdon on the Great Ouse, but from 2016 on the Stort from our own base). The club is a founder member of the Flatwater Racing Association and hosts one of the FRA's annual Winter Series marathons and a local regatta. Some members attend the Sprint Regatta weekends at Nottingham.

Competition and training takes place throughout the year. The main session is on Sunday mornings (all abilities) and on weekday evenings for more serious training.
BSCC is affiliated to Paddle UK (the new name for British Canoeing, the national governing body for paddlesport), who accredited us under the Clubmark scheme as a high-quality child-friendly sports club. In 2011 we became only the 7th club in the country to be recognised as a "TopClub Gold". 
These schemes have ended and the club is now working towards the "Quality Club" accreditation which has replaced them.
Grants & Sponsors

Over the years BSCC has been fortunate to receive grants of various sizes towards different projects, including:
  • 2019 - Sport England Lottery Grant of £9640 - equipment and funding for coach education to support our novice recruitment programme
  • 2019 - East Herts Council £4390 - equipment  to support our novice recruitment programme
  • 2015 - Herts County Council Locality Budget Scheme - various equipment items, including junior buoyancy aids, paddles, and a boat
  • 2015 - Bishops Stortford Community Hospital Charitable Trust - a defibrillator
  • 2014 - Stansted Airport Community Trust - purchase of two K2s
  • 2012 - Construction of the boathouse was funded by SportEngland through a CanoeEngland Capital Grant, Viridor Credits Environmental Company's Landfill Communities Fund, and East Herts Council's Partnership Investment Fund (read more about the boathouse here). The boat racking was manufactured and supported by Evergreen
  • 2011 - Active East Herts Capital Grant - renovation of the shower facilities
  • 2010 - Herts County Council Locality Budget Scheme - training several new coaches
  • 2008 - Stansted Airport Community Trust - purchase of several junior boats (Lightnings & Hody)
  • 2007 - National Lottery Awards for All scheme - £10K grant to revitalise our boat fleet
BSCC is hugely grateful to all our sponsors.