Paddles at the ready for National Go Canoeing Week

Grab your paddles, flex your biceps and slip on your helmet, because National Go Canoeing Week is arriving this month. In order to give the event the attention it deserves, Go Canoeing, a Canoe England Olympic legacy project, has organised some starter sessions. Born with the aim of introducing 20,000 new people to canoeing by 2017, the mass participation events give a fitting chance to immerse yourself in the community and sharpen your skills, while the project also offers myriad opportunities for the more experienced paddlers. The theme this year is ‘Every Mile Counts’, aiming to total up the distance around the UK’s coastline: 11,073 miles. Contribute your elbow grease by registering your miles from a starter sessions – and be in with the chance to win a prize. No previous canoeing experience is required, you’ll just be eased in and encouraged to complete a mile. Manchester’s sessions are hourly and Stockport’s activities last about 30 minutes each.

Sat 24 May, Paddles Away (next to the Wharf Pub), 6 Slate Wharf, Castlefield, M15 4ST, Tel: 07905 851 299, 1pm – 9pm, Adults (hour-long session) £10, Family – Adults £7 & Children £3, www.gocanoeing.org.uk

Sat 31 May, Paddles Away (next to Burnage Rugby Club), Battersea Road, Heaton Mersey, SK4 3EA, Tel: 07905 851 299, 9am – 1pm, Adults £10, Children £5, www.gocanoeing.org.uk