YMCA to open boating club on Southmere Lake in Thamesmead

Durkan completed the construction of the new boating club at Southmere Lake last Monday (November 28) and is due to open from spring 2023.

The completion of the building in South Thamesmead is part of Peabody’s plan to bring about thousands of new homes and jobs, new leisure and cultural facilities, improvements to the natural landscape, more opportunities for people across Thamesmead.

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The boating club will be run by YMCA Thames Gateway Group who is also managing the café and early years nursery in the adjacent Lakeside Centre.

The youth charity will kick off a varied programme of sailing and kayaking activities from throughout next year, primarily for schools and other young people in the area.

Plans include a term time programme for schools, colleges and youth groups, school holiday activities and pay and play open sessions and open days.

The new building, designed by Architecture 00, is finished in steel cladding, and will reflect the lake and the park, with hopes to “blend” into the natural landscape.

The facility adds to Peabody’s £2.5million improvement works at Southmere Lake in recent years, undertaken to improve water quality, increase biodiversity and encourage people to make the most of the landscape.

Measures include the introduction of reed beds and the installation of a 23-meter water fountain, as well as wooden viewing platforms and new nature trails on the lakeside.

The boating club sits across the lake from the first phase of Peabody’s seven-phase plan for South Thamesmead.

Due to complete this year and constructed by Durkan, the initial phase includes 534 new homes, a new public square, a library with community facilities, commercial spaces for shops, services and cafes, and a public realm.

Matthew Foulis, Peabody’s Project Director for Thamesmead, said: “Southmere Lake is a much-loved part of the local community and a real asset to Thamesmead.

“We’re therefore really excited to provide a new sailing club to enable local people to keep active and have fun on the water.

“Providing great facilities and well-run activities are part of our plan to help people make the most of the fantastic natural assets in Thamesmead.

“We can’t wait to see local people getting out on to lake and enjoying even more of what this town has to offer.”

Tim Carpenter, Managing Director of Construction at Durkan, said: “We’re delighted to be handing over the newly built boating club for Thamesmead residents to enjoy.

“Community is very much at the heart of what we do.

“We’re not just building new facilities; we’re creating communities for the future and that means investing in educational and recreational opportunities for people in the areas in which we work.

"Post pandemic we’re all much more aware of the benefits that time outdoors and proximity to nature can deliver for both physical and mental wellbeing.

“We’re looking forward to seeing local people use the boating club and enjoy it for years to come.”

Samantha Latouche, Director of Communities for YMCA Thames Gateway Group, said: “We’re really excited about extending our presence in Thamesmead and providing this fantastic service, which complements our organisational health and wellbeing focus.

“We’re planning on starting off with canoeing, kayaking and paddle-boarding before we progress our offer to sailing, holiday clubs and birthday parties. There’s so much potential for wider community engagement – from job opportunities to volunteering – and we’re delighted that Peabody have put their faith is us once again.”

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