It has been a brilliant year for the Haverfordwest Kayak Club (HWKC) - topped off with them being awarded the 2017 Canoe Wales Club of the Year.

The silverware was presented to them by Jet Moore at the club’s annual dinner at Hotel Mariners on Saturday night.

Accepting the award on behalf of all members was secretary Mike Taylor, who said: “Many kayak clubs in Wales have a competition side with members competing nationally, internationally and even at the Olympics and it is often these clubs, for good reason, who gain recognition.

"For Haverfordwest Kayak Club, being purely a recreational club, the winning of this award is extra special. Canoe Wales has recognised the dedication involved by members in developing the club and acknowledged its wide range of activities.”

In 2017, the club indulged in lots of training, trips, community events and development days - and Canoe Wales, the National Governing Body for Paddlesports in Wales, explained the decision to reward them.

"The judges were impressed by the wide variety of activities offered to members and the jam-packed calendar of events, along with the efforts that the club has made to reach out to underrepresented groups and to grow the number of female coaches. They were also impressed with the club's role in the community, including volunteering to support other sporting events with safety cover.

"Overall, it was evident that Haverfordwest Kayak Club is a model club which has had an incredibly busy and exciting 2017."

The club currently offers a variety of trips to appeal to as many members as possible - and on Thursday evenings and every other weekend club members are out on the Pembrokeshire coast and in the estuary taking part in sea touring, surf kayaking, gentle paddles, rolling and skills sessions, canoeing, plus white water sessions further inland.

Club highlights in 2017 included providing swim safety cover for the Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon and Long Course Weekend in Tenby. In September, the club hosted a camping weekend dedicated to learning Greenland paddling and rolling techniques - and put on a great show with a fleet of decorated kayaks on the river in Haverfordwest at the town’s Lantern Parade in October.

HWKC runs a beginners’ course each March and anyone interested can contact the membership secretary via the club website www.haverfordwestkayakclub.co.uk. Experienced paddlers are welcome to join at any time, and can follow the club Facebook page or e-mail upsidedown_outsidethebox@outlook.com.