Timeline
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March 19, 2024
Water confidence and safety session
Around twenty paddlers entered the pool for our annual pre-season water confidence and safety session at Kendal Leisure Centre pool. More paddlers participated from the pool side practicing using paddles to help someone out of the water from a jetty fall into shallow water or throw line and rope techniques to aid ...more -
March 15, 2024
Nominate us to receive a £1000 donation.
Follow this link to nominate Paddlers for Life Windermere to receive a £1000 donation through Movement for Good. more -
March 10, 2024
Latterbarrow Walk
This was our final off season get together up to Latterbarrow view point overlooking the western shore of Windermere. Here we could see our paddling home at Low Wood Bay across the lake from our starting point at Wray Castle. We will soon start the seventeenth paddling season for ...more -
February 19, 2024
Winter walk to Easedale Tarn
The weather was kind to us as we walked up to Easedale Tarn from Grasmere. We enjoyed warm, dry weather with good company and splendid views. There was some excitement as we circled the tarn trying to find the driest crossing of the ghylls and becks that feed the tarn but we managed to get everyone across ...more -
January 27, 2024
Silverdale Coffee Morning fundraiser 2024
This was our thirteenth coffee morning at Silverdale's Gaskell Memorial Hall. This is a very important fund raiser for our breast cancer dragon boat team. Funds raised help us to provide our dragon boating and other activities in support of people with a cancer diagnosis. ...more -
October 23, 2023
2023 Pink Paddle and flower ceremony.
Many paddlers gathered for our final paddle of the sixteenth season to promote October's breast cancer awareness. We also held a flower ceremony remembering those who no longer paddle with us and 'closed the eyes' of our 'dragons' for the winter. Both dragon boats, our V6 outrigger canoe and the support boat were ...more -
June 25, 2023
Event 4 Harry's Heroes Solstice paddle.
In the past Paddlers for Life Windermere participated in a solstice paddle, for human powered craft, the the 10.5 mile length of Windermere. More recently we have arranged a weekend event to paddle to the southern end of Windermere and back with an overnight stay at the YMCA. This year we used this solstice ...more -
June 5, 2023
2023 'dotting the eyes' ceremony.
Paddlers gathered for this traditional ceremony where the eyes of the dragon boat heads are painted with a dot of paint to represent the eyes opening. This is considered to awaken the spirit of the dragons and gain their protection. We like to invite members and supporters of our team to perform this task acknowledging ...more -
May 1, 2023
Sixteenth season begins.
Paddlers for Life Windermere finally got to paddle our dragon boats as our sixteenth season of paddling on Windermere begins. We had prepared the boats and pontoon and trained new members but high water levels and low water temperatures delayed the beginning of our sixteenth paddling season. Our first paddle ...more -
April 10, 2023
Paddlers for Life Windermere CIO workshop.
Some paddlers assembled at Ambleside Parish Centre to relaunch the charity under its new Charitable Incorporated Organisation registration. Workshop participants. It was an opportunity to look at the history and origins of our dragon boat team. Louisa started with the theme of the 'dragon' and what it means in ...more -
January 26, 2023
Silverdale Coffee Morning fundraiser for Paddlers for Life Windermere.
A huge 'Thank You' to everyone who visited our Coffee Morning fund raiser in the Gaskell Memorial Hall in Silverdale. As always, the residents of Silverdale were very generous with their time and support. Many friends of Paddlers for Life in Silverdale helped with stalls and refreshments and the community came out in ...more -
November 28, 2022
South Lakes paddlers walk.
A group of paddlers got together for a six mile walk in the South Lakes near Kendal. We were lucky to have dry and mild conditions with the sun trying to break through high cloud. We gathered at Sizergh to walk through their park and then through Brigsteer Woods eventually up onto Scout Scar before returning through ...more -
November 13, 2022
Season 2022 sort out!
Paddler volunteers gathered for some end of season tasks. The garage needed a tidy-up, the pontoon needed dismantling and cleaning and the V6 outrigger prepared for the winter off season. The weather forecast was promising... ... but recent rainfall created a problem. The high lake level had flooded the ...more -
October 24, 2022
Our 2022 paddling season ends with flowers.
Our plans for a 'pink paddle', raising breast cancer awareness, were cancelled due to forecast rain and wind gusts. October is breast cancer awareness month. Nevertheless, some paddlers gathered for a flower ceremony, and to close the eyes of our three dragon boat heads. Paddlers reflect on family, friends and ...more -
August 26, 2022
An Aloha Experience: Paddlers for Life Windermere at the World Sprint Championships (IVFWS)
Paddlers for Life Windermere at the GB Outrigger Association 2022 International Va’a Federation World Sprint Championships (IVFWS), 7-16 August 2022, Dorney Lake, Windsor, Great Britain. Since Paddlers for Life breast cancer dragon boat team have an outrigger canoe (OC6), we have been enjoying the new challenge ...more -
June 3, 2022
Platinum Jubilee 2022
Another paddling adventure. In 2012 two of our founder members Sue and Louisa had the vision for Paddlers for Life to participate in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee pageant on the Thames in London. Ten years later Louisa encouraged us all to remember this by paddling our dragon boats on Windermere as part of the 'Light ...more -
May 29, 2022
'Eye-dotting' ceremony 2022.
We awaken our dragons with a traditional ceremony. It was wonderful to be able to get together in person again for an 'eye-dotting' ceremony. Paddlers for Life members participate in the 'eye dotting' ceremony. Louisa led the ceremony with help from Irene who told the story of the poet Qu Yuan and the origins ...more -
May 7, 2022
Our team helps with the 5 do 5 Windermere challenge.
A fund raising challenge remembering a special friend. Lisa, Julie, Julie, Lynn, and Sarah have set themselves 5 challenges across and around Windermere which will include land and water based activities. It is in memory of a dear friend Amanda Wilson and aims to raise money for Blackwell Sailing, CancerCare North ...more -
May 2, 2022
Ä€kala Susie naming ceremony.
Our V6 outrigger canoe is named. The V6 outrigger is named 'Ākala Susie' in fond remembrance of one of our team's founders, Sue Cogley. Ākala Susie also got her first outing of 2022 over two paddling sessions. Paddlers for Life members, experienced and newer, gathered for the ceremony. It was a damp and misty day ...more -
April 17, 2022
Our OC6 is prepared for the naming ceremony.
Preparations for the upcoming naming ceremony of our OC6. Just about a year ago our OC6 Tahitian outrigger canoe arrived at Low Wood. The canoe was the dream of a founder member of the team and is to be named 'Ākala Susie' in fond memory of her. The canoe has been cleaned by Rowena and Chris and also Chris has been ...more -
April 12, 2022
Good participation in our first 2022 paddle.
It is wonderful to be paddling again. There was good attendance for the first paddle of our fifteenth season with three paddling sessions. There were several new members joining us to paddle with Roz giving the first safety talk along with some basic paddling instructions along with the paddling techniques. ...more -
April 3, 2022
All hands on deck for our 2022 season start.
We prepare for the 2022 season. Today had two important tasks planned. One task was to train new members and remind more experienced paddlers of the many aspects to getting our dragon boats prepared for the water. Roz took everyone through naming different parts of the boat and how the boats are dressed with seat, drum, ...more -
March 3, 2022
Ambleside well-being walk.
Ambleside well-being walk. 27th. February, 2022 What a great day for our walk with lovely sunshine and good company. Our walk started from Ambleside and covered six and a half miles taking us round Rydal Water and back along the 'coffin trail' via Rydal Hall. Fourteen paddlers took the opportunity to meet up prior to our ...more -
February 1, 2022
Happy Chinese New Year 2022
Happy Chinese New Year to all our members and dragon boat paddlers everywhere. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, characterised as being brave, competitive and confident. The element is water, kind, gentle, competent, and smart and is thought to bring  a confident and authoritative energy to all. Remember our Chinese ...more -
January 16, 2022
Scout Scar winter well-being walk.
Great views on Scout Scar for Paddlers for Life walkers. Eighteen paddlers enjoyed spectacular views on Scout Scar near Kendal. The weather was kind to us providing wonderful views of Morecambe Bay and the Lake District Fells to the west with views overlooking the Lyth Valley. After snacks at Helsington Church to ...more