A NEW club has made a successful launch into the water.

Maldon Canoe Club was officially launched on Saturday, as around 30 members of the new venture hit the waters of Maldon’s Blackwater Leisure Centre.

The group was started after a group of friends could not find a local canoe club to join, but decided to put things right by creating their own club.

Organiser Megan Garwood, 16, a student at St Peter’s High School in Burnham-on-Crouch, said that with the help of teacher Chris Davies the club won enough funding to buy some boats.

She said: “There was a club about 10 years ago or so, but I don’t know it ended. Some people from St Peter’s said they would like to do it and then we got all the funding from various places.

“I don’t think the launch could have gone better. I think the club is something different, it’s not like your average sports club and if you have the opportunity to learn it’s a good idea.”

After the successful launch of the club, members are now hoping to find a permanent home for the group somewhere along the canal in Maldon.

Megan explained: “We’re going to start raising money and we hope that we can get the club onto the canal in Maldon, so we can go all along the canal.

“We want a club in Maldon so our members don’t have to go so far away and we need somewhere to store our boats.”

The club plans to meet the last Saturday of every month and is suitable for people of all ages. The next meeting will be at 6pm on November 29, at Blackwater Leisure Centre, Park Drive, Maldon.