Paddlesport and the wider outdoor activities sector are an ecosystem of many small enterprises and self-employed individuals who along with many volunteers make our sport the amazing community it is. 

We recognise the angst amongst the paddlesport community at the current time, dealing with the immediate issues of survival at a time when there is no paddling and also worry about the future recovery and long term situation for our sport and the many businesses in it.  SCA is here to try and help where we can, 

We are inputing to sportscotland (and onwards to Scottish Government) the impact of Coronavirus on our sport.  

Help is available but it takes time to navigate the complex landscape, and unfortunately not every person or every business will be eligible. 

Some sources of help include: 

• Free HMRC helplines -  Scotland: 0300 303 0660
• Online resources such as Money Saving Expert 
• UK government business support
• Scottish Government business support
• IOD Covid Hub

Refer to the latest SCA guidance for details of delivering Paddlesport Activity

In March, the government has outlined a series of measures to support employees during the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. 

The outline of the current support available to business:

Providing £330bn worth of loans to businesses to support their cash flow;

£20bn of business rates support to those sectors most acutely affected during this period;

Direct support for business to retain staff during the crisis

The Government has recently announced a scheme that will allow self employed/freelancers with average profits of £50,000 or less to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next three months. This may be extended if needed.

This money will be backdated to March and will be based on average profits over the last three years.

The money will be available from June 2020 and will be a lump sum for the three months from March and will be a taxable benefit to be filed in tax returns by January 2022.

The Government will also be suspending the minimum income floor for everyone affected by the economic impacts of coronavirus. They are also deferring self-assessment payments until January 2021. 

Sport and Recreation Alliance have a useful article.

We are keen to identify and work with paddlesport businesses of all sizes to get through this crisis and become a stronger paddlesport community. We currently communicate with our individual members and quality mark providers but do not have a directory of the many other paddlesport organisations. We would like to communicate directly with these organisations to better support them and keep them up to date with news. 

Register your organisation here. 

This summer we will be also be announcing a new 'Delivery Partner' scheme designed to work closely with paddlesport organisations.

Data will be stored in line with our Privacy Notice

The SCA/British Canoeing liability insurance remains in place for those who are eligible, including sole-traders earning up to £25k/year from paddlesport. 

If you have separate insurance for equipment, premises, business continuity etc you may wish to check on the terms and ensure you remain covered during this time. 

The Sport and Recreation Alliance Insurance guidance

Whether you are a one-person enterprise or a large centre with an entire team, looking after the people is going to be key to the future survival of the business. 

Useful links: 

• SCA resource hub for coaches
• Sport and Recreation Alliance tips on supporting and retaining staff

Many providers and organisations are finding a new creative spark to keep their audience engaged.. If you plan. to do this, be sure you know your way around the online platforms as well as you know paddlesport! 

Some top tips: 

• Be in control of the platform - make sure you have logged in and set up the online session and are aware of how it is set up. Don’t share usernames and passwords with others. 
• Determine whether the online session is private or public - e.g. is it a defined group of people or broadcast for anyone to see. This will determine how you set it up. 
• Make use of ‘Waiting room’, password functions where possible to avoid being ‘zoom-bombed’ by hackers. 
• Consider features such as screensharing, cameras 
• If you are delivering training there are many interactive features available to get the participants involved through online polls, chat, Q&A, raised hands, sharing documents, breakout sessions and more. Plan your session in advance and understand the features. 
• Check compatibility across different devices to avoid ending up in a live session with participants who cannot participate due to in-compatibility. 
• Plan the audio carefully - avoid background noise and echo
• Reherse in advance and be sure everything is working as you expect.