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Join in with ‘The Big Paddle Cleanup’ – British Canoeing’s biggest week of action to date. Help us to protect the places we love to paddle from plastic pollution by joining our paddle cleanup on 9th June.
Any under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult.
Disclaimer and consent:
In order to take part everyone will need to complete our disclaimer and consent form. (Opens in new window)
You will be asked to complete the consent form once you have received your booking confirmation. To save time on the day please complete the form before arrival and please ensure all members of your group do so too.
Once you select ‘Book ticket’, your tickets will appear in your shopping cart, located at the top right of the screen. Continue shopping, or click this to go to checkout.
Join in with The Big Paddle Cleanup – British Canoeing’s biggest week of action to date. Help us to protect the places we love to paddle from plastic pollution by joining your own paddle cleanup on 9th June.
We want everyone to have access to blue spaces and enjoy the many benefits of being out on the water. But many of England’s waterways are in crisis. A ‘chemical cocktail’ of sewage, agricultural waste, and single-use plastic is polluting many of our waterways.
We are in a unique position as paddlers as we can collect plastic from places others are unable to access. By taking part in a paddle cleanup you’ll be:
At least 2.1 million people paddle across the country at least once a year, so imagine the positive impact we can have if we all come together.
No previous experience or specialist clothing and equipment is required, our leaders will get you kayaking in no time and cruising along the city’s blue highway.
We will be kayaking approximately 3 miles in total.
We will provide every participant with a buoyancy aid, regardless of their swimming ability, so that should you fall in you’ll be safe. Activities are led by a professionally qualified British Canoeing Instructor who will give full tuition. All kayaks, paddles and safety equipment are provided. Sit back, paddle and have fun!
This is not our standard tour and we will be concentrating on collecting rubbish from the canals and making it a cleaner place for all.
We are an independent charity with the aim of making this beautiful old building self-sustaining by giving it a new purpose. When you buy a ticket for one of our tours, purchase something in our gift shop or become one of our tenants, you’re directly helping to support the future of the Roundhouse, enabling our work with the local community. The nominal ticket price for this event goes towards covering volunteer expenses, equipment and insurances.
Dates: Various occasions.
Time-slots: As booked
Meeting Point: Check in at the Roundhouse Visitor Centre on arrival, 15 minutes before your tour starts.
Finishing Point: Back in the Roundhouse!
Directions: View our "Getting here" page for detailed directions.
Duration: From introductions through to a chat at the end, you should budget around two hours for this guided experience, with 90 minutes on the water.
Suitable For: 8+, all under 18’s need to be accompanied by an adult.
Number of Steps? Not many steps but quite a few strokes, a basic level of fitness (walking up the stairs without being out of breath) will suffice. We’ll be paddling approximately 3 miles.
COVID-19 precautions
Roundhouse Birmingham takes the safety of visitors very seriously.
Guided tours will go ahead in all but the worst of weather. If we do need to cancel a tour due to high winds or thunderstorms we will reschedule at the earliest opportunity.
Make sure to come along and check in at our reception least 15 minutes prior to the tour to make sure we're ready to start on time!
The Roundhouse will also be home to an onsite café from Spring 2022.
Please provide proof of your eligibility for concessions or discounts on arrival.
We are an accredited British Canoeing Delivery Partner.
You want to know that the centre you choose is high quality, and that’s what the Delivery Partner badge means. A paddling centre displaying the British Canoeing Delivery Partner badge has agreed to the Delivery Partner Charter. This means the paddling centre has agreed to high standards of safety, value for money and customer service.
The badge is an indication to schools, parents and other customers that the partner takes its responsibilities seriously. They will use highly trained, qualified and competent staff, to deliver a high quality customer focused product.
Venue: The Roundhouse
Directions: 1 Sheepcote St, Birmingham B16 8AE
There will always be the odd splash and dribble that will get you damp and, because of the nature of the kayaks that we use, you will get a wet bottom!! We can provide waterproof jackets and trousers to keep you drier though.
And, of course, we recommend bringing a change of clothes should you capsize.
Kayaking is easy to pick up, we cater for all abilities on our tours and our guides are trained in being able to assist you should you require further advice.
Yes, we always assume that no-one can swim. If someone should capsize our guides will be there to assist you; normally, because the canals are only 4-6 feet deep, you could stand up.
All participants regardless of ability will be required to wear a buoyancy aid provided by us.
Sports clothing is light, dries easily and doesn’t make you freeze, simply stay away from denim, leather and wool and you will be fine. We can provide waterproof jackets and trousers to keep you drier too!
You need to wear something on your feet during the tour; old trainers, crocs, sandals all work well.
Both of our kayaking tours involve approximately 90 minutes on the water
8 years old and upwards (because of the size of our equipment)
Many people may think that kayaks are easy to flip over but they are a lot more stable than they might look, we have chosen the kayaks specifically for their stability.
We have lockers suitable for bags and personal items available for all tour participants free of charge.
We don’t recommend taking any valuables on the water, we are not responsible for any damage and loss.
We have lockers available free of charge for tour participants.
It’s better to book all our tours in advance. You may be lucky if you show up on the day and one of our guides will be available but we recommend always pre-booking.
Please visit Visitor Reception to book in, your guide will meet you there.
A canoe is paddled with a single-bladed paddle, and you will have seen these paddled generally by two people. A kayak is paddled from a sitting position with a two-bladed paddle.
We use sit-on-top kayaks, which mean should you fall off you’ll simply slide into the water.
We paddle on the canals so if you are not participating you can walk alongside but there is a lot of places that can’t be accessed by pedestrians.
Due to equipment limitations the maximum weight we can currently cater for is 18 stones.
Our buoyancy aids have a maximum chest size of 50 inches.
Please get in touch with us to organise a group booking.
Registered Charity No. 1169232
The Roundhouse, 1 Sheepcote St, Birmingham B16 8AE
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