A 'THRIVING' canoe club is bidding to entice new members to join its ranks with two new initiatives.

Lakeland Canoe Club, which meets at Kendal Leisure Centre every Monday evenings, has introduced an offer to attract students into its 150-strong membership, of a half-price yearly membership fee of £10, including two free pool sessions (normally £8 - £10 each).

Club committee member Mike Powell explained the reasoning behind the offer:

"We offer all kinds of lessons, from basic skills, to sea kayaking, but we'd love it if students were interested in joining our canoe polo team.

"Canoe polo has quite a following globally, and is strong here in Cumbria, there are several teams around the county, and we get together to play local tournaments regularly.

"We offer some great river and lake trips to members too for free - we only charge for pool sessions, to cover the hiring costs.

"We also have a film night coming up at the Brewery Arts Centre.

"We've bought the rights to show some of the best paddling films in the world, from a Canadian company called Rapid Media, and it'll be a great night for all. 

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"It's £12 for adults, and £6 for students or under-16s.

"The fantastic bar's open, and Brewery Arts also has an offer on Wednesday that if you arrive before 5.30 pm, you can get a pizza or pasta for £5, so if you want to come out for a drink, a good cheap meal, and some wonderful paddling films, it's a nice way to spend the evening!"

You can get in touch with the club by e-mailing Lakelandcanoeclub@gmail.com