I would like to express my gratitude to James D’Anvers for his leadership as Club President during the first half of 2023. I was honoured to take over the position from September 2023. The North Shore Canoe Club has achieved remarkable success this year, including winning the top spot at the 2024 NZCT New Zealand Canoe Sprint Championships with our largest team ever. Our athletes, from youth to masters, have shown outstanding performance, reflecting the bright future of the club and New Zealand.
We have made significant improvements to our coaching team, led by Gavin Elmiger as Head Coach and Kendra Tate as Coach and Participation Lead, resulting in a more structured and successful coaching setup. The club has also received a generous grant $800k from the Auckland City Council for our building upgrade project, which is a significant milestone for us. We are actively seeking additional funding through sponsorships and grants to meet our operational needs and ensure the club's sustainability. It’s fair to say the club has struggled financially over the past months due to the lack of approved grants. Which has meant several sacrifices by Gavin and the team, as we try to hold in our expenses as a club, our financial position has certainly improved remarkably as we move 2024. It’s certainly a tough market for clubs and charities.
During this period, we have started work on our 2024/2025 strategy as a club with a strong vision for the future. This proposed strategy will be sent to the members for their feedback in the coming months. This will lay the foundation for the club going forward.
I want to extend my appreciation to all those who have supported the club, including our sponsors like Farnley’s Yamaha for their generous donation of a Highlander Tender with a Yamaha engine. I also want to thank CRNZ for their continued support and our dedicated coaching team led by Gavin and Kendra for their hard work and commitment to creating a positive club culture.
As we look ahead to the future and the building upgrade project in 2024/25, I am confident that with the passion and dedication of our committee members and supporters and club members, the North Shore Canoe Club will continue to thrive. We are at a turning point for the club, with the new building upgrade and the coaching development alongside some wonderful results coming for some of our members at the upcoming Olympics. We will see a strong uptake in the sport in 2024/2025. Let’s be ready for it.
Best regards,
Ross Morley