Riverside Open Day Celebrates Community Spirit with Packed Programme of Activities
The Riverside Open Day held at Cambois Rowing Club, Ashington Sea Cadets and Wansbeck Paddle Sports Club on Saturday 12th July proved to be a tremendous success, with families from across the local community turning out to explore the range of youth activities available along the River Wansbeck.
The event, which ran from 11am to 3pm at the club's Black Close Bank location, showcased three key organisations working together to provide opportunities for young people in the area. Visitors were treated to free refreshments throughout the day while exploring the facilities and trying out various activities.
Taster Sessions Prove Popular
The Learn-to-Paddle sessions provided by Wansbeck Paddle Sports Club were fully booked throughout the day, with families eager to experience supervised canoeing, kayaking and other water sports in a safe, insured environment. The club's experienced instructors guided participants through their first experiences on the water, demonstrating the accessibility of these popular activities.
Multi-Club Showcase
The Sea Cadets opened their building to the public, providing comprehensive information about youth development opportunities and offering live demonstrations of their training programmes. Meanwhile, Cambois Rowing Club welcomed visitors to tour their clubhouse, allowing them to view rowing boats up close and learn about membership opportunities while trying their hand at the rowing machines. Richard Lucas, Chair of Cambois Rowing Club said, “We were thrilled to be able to open our doors and welcome the people of Ashington to our Club on Saturday. We had a good level of engagement with a number of visitors and expect to be welcoming potential new members on to our August learn to row programmes. Many thanks to the Council for organising.”
A particular highlight was the smoothie bike from Full Circle Food Project, which proved extremely popular with attendees of all ages as they pedalled their way to creating healthy drinks.
Council Support and Attendance
Ashington Town Council was pleased to support the event following a meeting with councillors on the Youth Advisory Committee, who agreed that the three clubs situated on the River Wansbeck provided the ideal setting for youth activities. The council recognised the valuable contribution these organisations make to the local community and young people's development.
The event was attended by Ashington's civic head, Councillor Pauline Thompson, who had a great time meeting members of the respective clubs and enjoying tours of the facilities. Councillor Louis Brown, a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, tried out some of the water sports equipment, while fellow Youth Advisory Committee member Councillor Karl Green had a go on the popular smoothie bike, demonstrating the cross-generational appeal of the day's activities.
Community Impact
Tom Thomas, at Wansbeck Paddle Sports Club, commented: "Events like this really demonstrate the fantastic opportunities we have here on the River Wansbeck. It's wonderful to see so many families discovering what we have to offer, and the enthusiasm from both young people and parents has been incredible. The collaboration between our three clubs shows how much we can achieve when we work together to benefit the local community." Tom also collected feedback from some of the families attending including, “Brilliant day, Brilliant team work. Well done everyone”, “My little boy loved it thank you for a fab time”, “Really good day, great atmosphere, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves”, and “, “It was fabulous!!!”
The success of the Riverside Open Day highlights the strength of community partnerships and the growing interest in water sports and youth activities in the Ashington area. The three clubs continue to welcome new members and provide ongoing programmes throughout the year.
Wansbeck Riverside Open Day
