The British Canoe Union
The British Canoe Union (BCU) is the English canoeing organisation – set up to help and inspire people who wish to begin canoeing or develop their canoeing skills. It formulates standards for training programmes with certification levels and accredits instructors to teach canoeing.
Like many organisations, the BCU was founded in the Victorian era, when a passion for all kinds of physical activity led to a proliferation of outdoor sports associations. So in 1887 the British Canoe Association was created, but it only existed for about thirty years. Then in 1933, it merged with the Canoe Section of the Camping Club of Great Britain, and in 1936, representatives of the Canoe Section of the Camping Club, Clyde Canoe Club, Manchester Canoe Club and the Royal Canoe Club agreed to form the British Canoe Union which as over 25,000 individual members, 469 affiliated clubs and 145 approved centres.
The BCU creates the rules for competitive canoeing used throughout the UK as well as mobilising a Rivers Access Campaign which tries to raise the public awareness of the problems canoeists face in accessing the country's rivers. Currently we are all restricted to using the rivers that have either an ancient right of navigation still existing or have statutory rights of navigation created in more recent times, this restriction also affects anglers. Many inland waters in England and Wales, especially the smaller and upland rivers, are considered to be privately owned and to use them in any non-powered water sport or activity without permission could constitute an act of trespass. The legal position is unclear and needs clarification according to the BCU.
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