The purpose of the CANI Equality Committee is to advise the CANI Board and executive officers on all matters relating to Equality.
Current Equality Committee Members are as follows;
Disability Lead- James Birrell
Older Person Lead– John Cunningham
Female Lead- Amina Martin
Young Person Lead– Craig Wilson
LGBT+ Lead – Kat Denvir
Ethnic Minority Lead– Currently vacant
To contact Equality Committee members please email the CANI office with your query.
If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact rodgerhamilton@cani.org.uk or 07747794343
Equality Committee Terms of Reference
Please find a copy of the Equality Committee Terms of Reference below
Information on equality can be accessed on the CANI website here
Meet Equality Committee Member – Older Person Lead, John Cunningham
I’m John Cunningham the Representative for Older People on CANI Equality Committee, I am well qualified at least in one respect being 76 , I have been a Level II Coach in both Kayaking and Canadians for the last 25 years with Belfast Kayak Club and a resident coach at the Robinson Center since 2001. At present I am running a group for the U3A (University of the Third Age) that had been paddling weekly for the past four years.
From a personal level I had taken the general advice that at over 70 it was time to hang up my paddle and I did , but after six months I was missing the exercise , the paddling and friendships , but at that time I had joined the U3A in Carrickfergus and in line with their ethos I was wondering w hat I could share with them . When I suggested canoeing to the committee they laughed at the idea but gave me permission to try. It snow balled and quickly became one of most popular activities . The group of twenty one paddled right through last winter right up to ” lock down “.
I started off the paddling the group in ” rafted canadians “, but very quickly found out that they wanted to and were capable of paddling tandem. The rafted canadians give a very stable platform ideal for nervous first timers and an other advantage of open boats as well as their stability is that they do not require special wet gear but normal walking gear will suffice.
