PNSW Q2 Club Forum 2026: Club Development, Risk Management and Collaboration

The PNSW Q2 Club Forum brought together club leaders from across New South Wales to share experiences, discuss common challenges, and explore practical solutions for strengthening paddling clubs. The session covered topics ranging from volunteer recruitment and succession planning through to club collaboration, risk management, and opportunities to connect paddlers across the state.

CLUBMAP Update

Mark Bretag provided an update on Paddle Australia's partnership with CLUBMAP, highlighting key learnings from the first webinars. Discussions focused on volunteer burnout, succession planning, volunteer coordination, and strategies to move beyond the traditional model where a small number of committee members carry the majority of the workload. Clubs were encouraged to complete the CLUBMAP Club Health Check and explore the extensive library of free resources and templates available through the program.

Sharing Club Adventures Across NSW

Laura Kleinrahm from Burley Griffin Canoe Club presented an exciting concept aimed at encouraging greater collaboration between clubs.

The proposal would allow clubs to promote recreational paddling trips, camping weekends, training opportunities, and other activities to members of other affiliated clubs. Benefits discussed included:

• Creating new paddling opportunities for members
• Sharing knowledge and expertise between clubs
• Helping smaller clubs achieve sufficient participant numbers for activities
• Connecting clubs with qualified guides and instructors
• Building stronger relationships across the paddling community

Clubs interested in opening future trips or activities to other clubs were encouraged to share details through Paddle NSW for promotion via newsletters and communication channels.

Important Discussion: Risk Management and Insurance

One of the most valuable discussions of the evening centred on risk management, trip planning, and insurance requirements.

Representatives from several clubs shared their experiences and highlighted the importance of:

• Maintaining attendance records for club activities
• Having current risk assessments and emergency response plans
• Ensuring volunteers and trip leaders are appropriately registered
• Understanding insurance obligations for club activities and events
• Considering Working With Children requirements where applicable

A particularly insightful contribution came from Macquarie River Paddle Club, who shared lessons learned following an incident at a previous event. Their experience reinforced the importance of preparation, documentation, regular reviews, and having robust emergency response procedures in place.

As a result of the discussion, risk management was identified as a priority topic for a future Club Forum.

Key Takeaways

✅ Don't rely on a small group of volunteers to do everything.
✅ Consider appointing a volunteer coordinator to engage and support helpers.
✅ Explore CLUBMAP resources and complete the Club Health Check.
✅ Build relationships with other clubs and share opportunities.
✅ Keep attendance records and risk management documentation up to date.
✅ Learn from the experiences of other clubs and don't wait until something goes wrong to review your processes.

Resources

Watch the Forum Recording
Paddle NSW Q2 Club Forum 20260622 Meeting Recording

Presentation Slides
PNSW Club Trips