Our committee and coaches are made up of club members who freely volunteer their time to assist the club in its operation and activities.

BCCC Committee

  • James Freemantle - Chairman

    James’ primary interest is in flat water racing. He is currently a Division 3 marathon racer and through his coaching and leadership has helped develop a number of BCCC racing squad to Division 2 and national championship level. He has been awarded fastest K1 or K2 in the club Hare & Hounds event every year since 2008.

  • Matt Tichbon - Secretary

    Matt enjoys touring and regularly goes on long trips; he is also developing an interest in sea kayaking.

  • Alan Ebbage - Treasurer

    Alan focuses on marathon paddling and sea kayaking. He can often be seen swimming in the canal! He is also a keen long distance runner. In his spare time he helps maintain the website.

  • Sarah Francis - Committee member, boat store manager and L1 coach

    Sarah’s primary kayaking interest is K1 and K2 marathon racing. She also enjoys sea kayaking. If she ever misses a race, it is because whe is competing in an orienteering event.

  • Rose Fox - Paddlepower coordinator, committee member and L2 coach

    Rose is a Level 2 Coach. A keen open canoe paddler, she is willing to have a go at any form of paddling – even flat water racing (but only on Fridays!).

  • Liz Murnaghan - Committee member and L3 coach

    Liz is a Level 3 Coach. She has paddled most types of boat (slalom K1, C1 and C2, WWR K1, marathon K1 and K2, polo, open canoes, sea kayaks, river runners and playboats) with various degrees of success. She is now more often to be found in flat water boats- if only because Surrey is not well endowed with white water gems and time is too short to drive for hours to the good stuff. Lis is also known for bringing Canoe And Kayakers Energy Source (CAKES) to a wider audience.

  • Bill Hansell - Committee member

    Bill is a part time Hasler competitor. Hobbies include amateur drama

  • Josh Bevan - Committee member

    Jon is an accomplished whitewater and sea paddler.

  • Thomas Welsh - Youth committee chairman

BCCC Key People

  • Brian Gandy - Membership Secretary

    Brian is an experienced flat water racing enthusiast and former chairman of the British Canoeing Marathon Committee. He also runs our Hare & Hounds events.

  • Richard Boreham - Club Welfare Officer and Coach

    Richard is an experienced white water paddler and coach. A former Chairman, he is now the Club Welfare Officer

  • Paul Jeffs - Trip Coordinator and L3 Inland Kayak and L2 Racing Coach

    Paul has served several roles in the club but today he has settled down to encouraging both marathon and white water disciplines – as well as taking part in both. Paul’s enthusiasm for canoeing never lets him down as can be seen from his grin! He holds the Level 3 (Inland Kayak), Level 2 Racing and Level 1 Slalom Coaching awards and isn’t frightened of paddling an open boat either. He is a real proponent of trying every paddlesport discipline from river running through racing and sea kayaking to polo and more.

  • Richard Somerset - L2 Racing Coach

    Richard was a long serving member of the committee but stepped down to do more paddling. He is still very much involved in club life taking a leading role in coaching white water and flat water racing. He is a very experienced paddler holding British Canoeing 4 Star Kayak, British Canoeing 3 Star Open Canoe and Placid Water as well as being a Level 3 Kayak and Open Canoe and Level 2 Racing Coach

  • Dave Howie - L3 Racing Coach

    Dave attends all the training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and trains the Div 5-8 training group. He produces the training programme for all the training groups for these sessions and runs the Introduction to Flatwater Racing Courses. He is a member of the DW 1000 mile Club and assists the affiliated organisations Churchers College and Lord Wandsworth School with their DW preparation. In 2012, he was Performance Coach Runner-up in the Canoe England Performance & Recognition Awards. He has been competing in Sprint and Marathon events since 1968 and is currently ranked in Div 5.

  • Brian Biffin - Level 3 Coach

    Brian is a Level 3 Coach. These days he prefers sea trips and Grade 2 inland paddles. He is also a qualified paddleboarder and a very keen skier.

  • Anne Biffin - Level 2 Coach

    Anne is a UKCC Level 2 Coach. She enjoys sea kayaking, kayak touring, paddleboarding and open boating. She tries, with little success, to keep Brian in check and can often be seen on the water with Calvin, the Border Collie.