Waterside – July 2023

31 July 2023

Kelly told us: “The summer months bring a range of activity to Waterside Centre. One of the highlights of the youth programme in the warmer weather is our paddling activities where young people are encouraged to join instructors and youth workers on the river. Our fleet of canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are often seen on the water as we invite young people to try something new and be introduced to the world of outdoor adventure sports.

“Alongside this, our team of instructors and youth workers work with young people to develop their understanding and awareness of water safety and how important it is to take open water such as rivers and lakes seriously, no matter their level of experience in paddlesports.

“Examples of this over the last month includes having the youth team and some young leaders join the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service at their water safety event in Pangbourne to practise using throwlines (see video) and having a group of young people complete their Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course with Cloud 9 Pursuits.

“Both of these activities support young people’s confidence and competence when engaging in paddlesport activities and provide them with skills that whilst we hope will never be needed, could be the difference in a life-saving scenario.”

Waterside Centre offers competitively-priced spaces for hire, which are ideal for a range of events, meetings, activities and parties. For further details, please visit the Waterside website or email them: waterside@berkshireyouth.co.uk.