Waterside Festival takes 49 afloat at Goring Gap
Forty-nine people facing mental health difficulties tried paddleboarding, canoeing and rowing at Sport in Mind's fourth Waterside Festival, hosted by Goring Gap Boat Club near Reading.
Paddle UK has reported on Sport in Mind's Waterside Festival, held this summer at Goring Gap Boat Club near Reading, where 49 people living with mental health difficulties went afloat to try paddleboarding, canoeing and rowing. For clubs, it is a worked example of how to open the water to people who would otherwise never get there.
What happened
- Now in its fourth year, the festival is run by the charity Sport in Mind with support from Paddle UK, the governing body for canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding.
- The 49 participants tried all three activities in a day; for some it was a first time afloat.
- Goring Gap Boat Club hosted and found 21 volunteers, while The SUP Life, Adventure Dolphin and The Watersports Centre ran the on-water sessions.
- British Rowing added mental health first aid training, extra lifejackets and support through its Project Activator.
- Sport in Mind's follow-up found almost nine in ten felt more confident; one participant said "everyone was so kind and welcoming, which encouraged me to try new activities".
Why it matters
- A day like this runs on boats, buoyancy aids and willing hands rather than money, and most sailing and boat clubs have all three.
- Participants left meaning to find a local club or buy their own board, so taster days can bring in members as well as doing good.
- Paddle UK wants to hear from clubs running similar events, at communities@paddleuk.org.uk.
Source: Paddling for wellbeing: Sport in Mind's Waterside Festival, Paddle UK, 2 October 2026. Summary by Pushing the Boat Out.