Sudbury Canoe Club was re-instated in 1995. It had existed, to a limited degree during the mid 70s. In the 18 months prior to the reforming of the club, structured canoeing returned to the Stour due to the efforts of six like-minded casual paddlers. We had met for informal paddles quite regularly but soon decided that there was a growing interest from the wider public.

Initially, this small group decided to form a canoe group rather than club because apart from our own kit we had very poor resources, this is turn meant that we did not have a responsibility to affiliate to the British Canoe Union. But new paddlers came along and a sense of membership ensued and as numbers increased it become obvious that we needed more structure and more formally qualified instructors. In 1995 the formal SCC was launched and the founder members gained canoeing and kayaking Coach Awards, and eventually had three BCU Level 3 coaches and many aspirant Level 2s.

With this new found structure and team the SCC headed off to diverse locations including Matlock, North Wales, the Lake District , The Alps and Belgium to gain more skills on both flat and white water. The aim was to continue developing skills, introducing new paddlers to different experiences and using the River Stour as a base for those wanting calmer water and time to develop skills.

The club has gone from strength to strength – with a new Freestyle team, open canoeists, sea paddlers and daring white water kayakers – but as it’s core is still that original group of like minded people meeting up for good company and a paddle on the River Stour.

Next year is the 30th anniversary of the club which is a landmark that we should all be proud of!