Since inception IBCPC’s global membership has continued to grow from that early start with 57 teams represented at the first IBCPC Congress in 2010.
As you will see with the achievements over the past 20 months (listed below) we have been really busy (remember too that we are all volunteers with day jobs other than lucky Betty Solley who is retired). We realise that it is high time that we thought strategically “where to from here”. We had hoped to start this work on a strategic direction in late 2019, but unfortunately, circumstances overtook us and we have had to defer work now to May 2020.
Here is where we need your help. This is your organization, we represent you. What would you like to see happen in the future? How do you think we should manage our next five-ten years, how should we manage our growth? Is IBCPC fit for purpose, is it the right model to move forward? We really welcome your input and look forward to hearing from you. Please send us your thoughts and ideas to info@ibcpc.com or committee@ibcpc.com.
What have we achieved in the last 20 months
To bring you up to date here are some of the things we have achieved, while always staying true to our mission of “encouraging the development of breast cancer paddler teams through participation”.
Since the BCS Festival in Florence 2018, some quick bullet points of what we have done:
We adopted the byline; “Exercise is Medicine”
25% increase in the number of member countries joining IBCPC
20% increase in the number of member teams joining IBCPC
IBCPC facilitated outreach clinics in Egypt and Israel. Israel has more than 120 paddlers post this outreach
A sportswear sponsor has joined IBCPC to support the work in the Middle East
A new IBCPC website
Comprehensive engagement on the new website
65,000 reaches on IBCPC Facebook page
Newsletter subscriptions have increased by 25%
Future Festival Committee awarded the next festival to NZ for 2022
NZ BCS 2022 Festival website expected to attract 150 subscribers, has 1800+
At the first meeting to discuss the formation of IBCPC in Caloundra in 2007 it was noted that “Breast cancer teams wishing to race and attend more competitive paddling events have the opportunity to do so under the auspices of the International Dragon boat Federation”. And in Peterborough in 2010 it was noted that we “Encourage those teams who wish to race at a competitive level to participate at IDBF events and that IBCPC would be the official liaison organisation with IDBF on behalf of all teams”. Now in 2020, the biggest ever field of entries into the IDBF CCWC 2020 consisting of 14 standard boat and 10 small boat teams from 10 countries. That represents 33% of our member countries and over 11% of our total member teams who wish to be competitive paddlers
A new legal entity established to protect IBCPC and its members
Mature markets like USA, Canada, Australia and NZ all have new member teams
Members are regularly telling us that they love the transparency of the organisation, the modernisation, the openness, the engagement
Newly developed (since 2016) countries like Argentina have been encouraged to host their own outreach clinics and mini regattas. One was held in Neuquen, Patagonia on 11/19 and one just out of Buenos Aires in Escobar on 3/20
Very active and fully engaged membership social media presence with posts every week. The posts we put up attract about 2000-3500 reaches per post
A high number of BC paddlers competed in top-flight sports teams at the IDBF World Nations 2019.
