The Eye-Spy Book of TCC Committee members and Coaches
Keith Sunderland Committee member: Chair & Safety officer BCU Level 3 kayak, L2 Open Canoe, Bellboat helm Goodness knows how Keith manages to spend any time at home as he is often at the lake with either Scout groups, his sons in racing boats or organising clubnight sessions. Keith is also the Staffordshire Scouts County Water Activity advisor. Keith can generally be spotted in the boatshed repairing boats, making seats or racking. He’ll get in a racing boat when he can, but loses his nerve when it’s a dead calm!
John Court Committee member:  outrigger canoes. TWA DirectorBellboat helm John may well have been born with a single blade in his hands. He has raced Slalom C2 in the 1972 Olympics and set a world record for the Artic Canoe Race amongst other things. More recently he has become heavily involved with outrigger canoeing, particularly with disabled paddlers. It was John that first re-introduced canoeing and rowing back on Trentham lake. John can generally be found at the helm of an outrigger canoe or flying all over the World trying to persuade people about the merits of disabled outrigger canoeing.
Chris Voisey Committee member: Equipment officer BCU Level 2 Kayak, Bellboat helm If Chris has got his silly hat on, beware either he or you could well get wet. Chris is a keen Scouter and can be seen running sessions for the club or the Scouts. In the summer he can sometimes be spotted trying to do a head-stand in a kayak or swimming out of a racing kayak. He is a genius with all things metal and someone the club can always depend upon.
Phil Roberts Committee member: Vice Chair & Safety officer BCU Level 2 kayak, Bellboat helm Phil is the tall person usually seen in a white racing K1, either training to hold off these young slalom paddlers, or gently encouraging others to take up racing, always hopeful that one day some of the juniors will try to train harder than they chatter. Phil can be found at most local marathons and more recently at the National Sprint regattas. Bonus eye-spy points if you see him in a surf kayak, recreational kayak or open canoe.
Hadrian Smith Committee member: Treasurer & equipment officer UKCC/BCU Level 1, Bellboat helm Hadrian has been helping with club sessions right from the very start when sometimes coaches outnumbered paddlers. He can be spotted quite easily, often wearing a luminous cag and/or a multi-coloured cap. Hadrian has been a coach way before Trentham Canoe Club was dreamed up, recently updating his qualifications for the new UKCC ones. He is pretty-much a dead-cert spot on a clubnight; bonus points if you see him trying to stay upright in a racing boat.
Gordon Hulmes Committee member UKCC/BCU Level 1, Bellboat helm Gordon is a home-grown paddler and coach, starting canoeing at Trentham. Qualifying as a coach this year, he is keen to help others out. Gordon and Dave have been doing a sterling job this year running the introductory beginners sessions. Gordon can generally be spotted in a green Inazone kayak, encouraging others to go in a straight line, or behind the lens of his camera. Gordon is a dab-hand with websites and designed and maintains this one.
Dave Bradbury Committee member UKCC/BCU Level 1, Bellboat helm Dave is a bit of a double act with Gordon, helping to introduce the many beginners to the clubnight sessions. Dave is also a home-grown coach, who may be quiet, but has the most impressive set of coaching notes ever. Always dependable, he has a knack of producing teams for our bellboat and outrigger races.

Jenny Masterman BCU Level 2 & BCU L2 Racing, Bellboat helm Jenny has hours of patience and endless encouragement for young people with learning difficulties. She runs the North Staffs Special Olympics Kayaking group and can be found at the lake or at the regattas encouraging paddlers to go faster, whether in an outrigger canoe or stable racing kayak.
Philippa Sunderland UKCC/BCU Level 1 & Sprint regatta team leader Philippa is often at the canoe club, helping to organise others or her two sons, getting in a boat when she can. Working at Ash Green Primary School, she encourages many of the school’s Lightning paddlers. She can be spotted if you are up early in the morning at the regatta team leaders meeting, trying to ensure all the Trentham paddlers are at the start in time with the right number board. Philippa won the Teacher of Year award at the BCU Volunteer Awards 2009.
Benedict Cambridge BCU Level 2 kayak I’m sure Benedict would love to spend more time in a kayak if only things like a young family, work etc didn’t get in the way. A Chaplin from Staffs University, he is seen on the lake with some of the Staffs Uni paddlers. Having a public speaking voice, we often persuade him to take up the mike at our events.
Sheila Bowers UKCC/BCU Level 1 Working shifts as a nurse, it isn’t always easy to get down to the lake so Sheila helps out where she can with either club sessions or with Scout groups. If you spot Sheila in a K2, she may or may not be the right way up!
Kingsley Leigh UKCC/BCU Level 1 With Eccleshall Scouts becoming part of Trentham Watersports Association this year, Kingsley volunteered to take his coaching qualifications to enable his Scouts and others to take to the water at Trentham. If you see a Scout group on the water, Kingsley may well be spotted there too.
Alice Barratt UKCC/BCU Level 2 Being a teacher at Clayton High and a kayaker, Alice makes the ideal person to encourage Clayton High pupils to take up kayaking in our after-school club. Alice has taught kayaking and outdoor activities all around the world.
Jon Petyt UKCC/BCU Level 1 Jon qualified as a coach to help his school, St Josephs, to bring more people kayaking or bellboating as part of Year 10 PE lessons. Mountain bikes will always come first so you’re unlikely to spot Jon in a boat outside of school sessions.
Brigitte Geyer Bellboat helm Brigitte will almost certainly be found in an open canoe. She qualified as a bellboat helm to enable her to take her Brownie and Guide groups out.
Dan Hopwood Outrigger canoe co-ordinatorDan is a trully inspirational paddler with a passion for outrigger canoes. He has paddled the entire length of the Mississippi in an open canoe and taken part in two Outrigger Canoe World Championships - this is despite being paralysed from the waist. Dan is running a Tuesday-night outrigger canoe training group at Trentham.

Committee members
Lynda & Dave Whiston Committee members: Social officers Having stood on the bank watching their son on the water so often, Lynda and Dave decided they would have a go on the lake too. Can be found at the lake on a Monday evening or running the catering at events.
Sue Owen Committee member: Junior co-ordinator & Child Protection officer You’ll hear Sue before you see her – great at organising others or encouraging her children and others to have a go. Sue was canoeing before her children were even thought of and gets in a kayak when she can.