The 2009 European Canoe Slalom Championships are to be held in England, the British Canoe Union (BCU) has announced.

The European Canoe Association – the sport's governing body in Europe – awarded Britain the right to host the event at the Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre in Nottingham in June 2009.

Paul Owen, chief executive of the BCU, said: "It will give us the chance to showcase canoeing and kayaking as well as the best world-class coaches and athletes in the world, including our own Olympic and World Championship winners, which is fantastic for the sport."

The event will be part funded by UK Sport through its major events strategy. John Scott, international director of UK Sport, added: "As well as giving British performers an excellent chance to compete on home soil, the event will also offer an opportunity for almost 400 volunteers to be involved in the staging and running of a major international competition, which is especially important as we look towards London 2012."

The last time England hosted a major canoe slalom championships was in 1995.