Scottish Rowing: the River Ayr Rowing Project: The project is specifically aimed at those who might not have the ability to engage in physical activity outside school due to personal or financial circumstances. Rowing is now being used as a tool to engage with young people in the town of Ayr, South Ayrshire, which is one of the most deprived towns in Scotland. All the participants have come from particularly challenging backgrounds either as young carers, caring for their siblings or parents or care experienced young people in foster care or residential care.
In partnership with British Rowing, we are supporting Ebbsfleet Academy, a state school in Kent, in the development of Ebbsfleet Rowing Club. Funding has enabled growth in their provision of 2 after school sessions. They will provide two after school clubs at Ebbsfleet Academy, compete in virtual and in person competitions and look to give their students the opportunity to race on the water with London Youth Rowing.
Trentham Boat Club Juniors – Schools Outeach 2024 in Stoke on Trent and surrounding areas. This project aims to reach many young people from deprived and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
We are funding the growth of the Hinksey Sculling School’s OarSchools’ outreach programme with the Matthew Arnold School, a state school in Oxford with many young people who face financial disadvantage.
We are supporting our first Love Rowing project in Northern Ireland with the Queen’s University Rowing Academy. The project is called ‘Get Going Get Rowing’ which is a Rowing Ireland initiative to encourage participation of post-primary school children (boys and girls) in the sport of rowing. It is a 4 week programme initially and some young people may wish to continue the sport either indoors or on the water. In 2023, the Get Rowing Projects reached out to 32,000 students in 107 schools in Ireland. It has really taken off in Ireland and we want to give young people in Northern Ireland the same opportunity.
In partnership with British Rowing, we are funding the “Rowing for All” project at Harris Science Academy, East London. It aims to address the unique challenges faced by their diverse student population in a school lacking onsite physical education facilities. The project seeks to introduce rowing as an inclusive and accessible physical activity, with the provision of indoor rowing in the school. The anticipated outcomes include improved physical health, enhanced teamwork and discipline, and increased participation from underprivileged backgrounds in physical education.
St Philip’s is a school for children with additional needs based in Chessington, Surrey. For the past eight years they have been offering their students the chance to take part in weekly rowing activities on the Thames near Kingston. The opportunity to row has been massive for their students with a number who are regularly taking part in the sport – we believe they might be the first special school who offer a regular rowing programme. As part of the school’s 70th anniversary celebrations, we are supporting them to upgrade their tired and old rowing equipment to enable them to enter a team into events, including the Great River Race.
We are supporting adaptive rowing at Glasgow Rowing Club. The club aims to improve the experience for their current adaptive rowers and grow their capacity to provide for more disabled people.