Porirua Canoe Kayak Club Incorporated (PCKC) was established in 1976 with White-water Kayaking and began operating as a waka ama club in 1996. The club was originally established to ‘provide the necessary organisation and equipment that enables and encourages participation by persons in New Zealand of all ages, gender and race to take part in a variety of safe canoeing and kayaking activities, both competitive and recreational.’ (Constitution of the PCKC, 1980) Our club therefore supports and caters for a number of different paddling sports. We encourage our members to branch out and challenge themselves in multiple disciplines, as we believe this only enhances their paddling knowledge and skills. PCKC is very much a whānau‐focused club. We believe that Waka ama is not simply a sport but a lifestyle a way of living and being. We encourage participation at all levels of the whānau from our baby’s right through to our kaumātua. Our club also takes pride in being proactive to identify needs and gaps for our paddling communities, and finding solutions to address these gaps. We are committed to upholding the core values of our club and to continue in our efforts to attract new people to get involved with Waka ama and kayaking. Special emphasis is placed on:
• Ensuring that individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment are not prevented from participating through lack of finance.
• Expecting that all members develop appropriate skills to their full individual potential and pass on their knowledge, skills and experience to other members.
• Ensuring that all club activities be undertaken in a spirit of whanaungatanga and that cultural differences are appreciated.
• Ensuring that all club activities be undertaken in a manner that enables and encourages participation by both gender.
