Paddling Our Barriers Away!

Wapping Youth FC wanted to provide outdoor activities to young people for FREE, so we decided to start canoeing sessions for 11-16 year olds. It's an amazing initiative that offers weekly paddle sports sessions for young people in Tower Hamlets

Canoeing is a low-impact activity that can improve strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness – even the most leisurely paddle can be a good workout while being fun. Aerobic exercise such as canoeing release chemicals into the body that can lift your self-worth, confidence and mood as well as providing an overall sense of well-being.

This project offers a great opportunity for the youth in the community to get together and get involved in something that's different and enjoyable. It’s a safe place for them to feel free and discuss important topics, as they paddle their barriers away.

Once again thanks to the amount of young people who signed up, we have managed to successfully deliver many canoeing sessions so far and they will be carried out till September 2022. We received some amazing feedback from both parents and young people attending.

‘’I think this is a great initiative, my kids were sceptical about it at first but once they started the session it was clear how much they were enjoying it. They both wanted to stay on for the next session.’’ – parent

‘’I’m so pleased I signed my child up for these canoeing sessions. It takes my son away from the PlayStation for a couple hours which is great.’’ – parent

‘’I think it’s a wonderful thing for them to experience as they all seem to enjoy it so much. It’s also free which is very helpful and makes it accessible to us all.’’ – parent