£330,000 canoe clubhouse opening on Saturday

Past members invited to Newbury Canoe Club's big day

Past members of Newbury Canoe Club are being invited to the long-awaited opening of its new clubhouse tomorrow (Saturday).

The building, on the bank of the Kennet and Avon Canal close to the A339 bridge in Newbury, pictured right, is the result of a £330,000 fundraising campaign and will mean members finally have access to toilets, showers and heating.

Newbury mayor Margo Payne will attend the opening at 11am with representatives of Greenham Trust and the army.

The club is currently using a garage as its changing room as its old building was deemed to be unsafe.

The new facilities will enable the club to run regular coaching and training sessions.

Club member David Seward said: “We would like to invite all existing past and potential members to celebrate with us.

“This is a real testament to resilience and perseverance, above all a celebration of Newbury and the canal as a somewhat hidden gem in the modern history of the town.”

The new building has been funded with £75,000 from Sport England, £15,000 from Canoe England, £65,000 from the Armed Forces Military Covenant, £66,000 from Greenham Trust, £1,500 from Thatcham Town Council and other contributions of £9,000.

The canoe club contributed £69,000 and other private donations were matched by Greenham Trust through the Good Exchange.