Last year Leaside had over 7,000 user visits.
Continuing our inclusion policy, we work with a range of young people with Special Needs. Six of the schools that use us are for children with behavioural or learning needs and three of the groups are Pupil Referral Units, for children who have been excluded from the main schools system.
Last year our successful Back to Basics Programme benefitted 67 young people, 6 of whom were referred directly to us by the police and the remainder through the schools programme. Some of the young people on the Back to Basics programme successfully completed a 12 day trek, covering 120 miles and white-water rafted along the Trishuli River. They also got to interact and live with the local people and volunteered in a school.
Last year our young members took part in 11 off-site training trips, 6 residential training weekends and 17 competitions. Leaside finished 2nd overall in the Essex Winter Series of canoe races. One of our young female members came first in the Under 15 class. Leaside was also strongly represented at the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Marathon, one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world. Our young members came 2nd in the junior mixed K2 division.
In the London Youth Games, Leaside represented the London Borough of Hackney and came 3rd overall. Leaside has a 3rd place National Champion 200m paddler who hopes to represent his country at the 2012 Olympic Games.
