In partnership with the Poynter Charitable Trust, Love Rowing have supported a new youth outreach project in Bedford over the last year, culminating in a summer holiday programme. The project was delivered in partnership with Bedford School (a Harpur Trust maintained school) providing access to rowing for the first time across 3 state schools in Bedford.
The project was activated through schools visits involving assemblies and demonstrating the ergometer. This stimulated interest in school-based indoor rowing clubs delivered before school. The coaches supported by student volunteers from Bedford School Boat Club, provided weekly sessions that were engaging, technical, fun and competitive. The clubs were consistently well attended and extremely popular with the host schools. Castle Newnham School held a ‘House Rowing’ event using the ergometers and some of our volunteers – a very successful event that they hope to repeat in future years.
Pupils that had participated in school indoor rowing clubs were then invited to compete in fun ‘Indoor Rowing’ events, held at the ergometer suite at Bedford School using Concept 2 wired technology to project scores to a large screen showing progress in individual and team relay events.
The rowing club currently offered at Goldington Academy … provides an invaluable opportunity for pupils who might not otherwise engage in physical activity. This programme specifically targets students who are less inclined towards traditional sports, offering them a chance to discover their potential in a supportive and inclusive environment. The positive impact of the rowing club is evident in the increased confidence, teamwork, and physical fitness among its participants. Many of these students are from pupil premium backgrounds, for whom access to such extracurricular activities can significantly enhance their overall development and life chances.
In the Summer term, many participants graduated from indoor- to water-based rowing. Upon successful completion of capsize drill, tread-water test and 50m swim, pupils were invited to the Schools’ Boathouse at Longholme to try rowing in boats such as ‘Explorer’ quads and double sculls (initially with experienced BSBC pupils in boats) and single sculls. The first water session took place on a Sunday lunchtime when the river was quiet and free from other water traffic from other clubs. During the first full week of the school holidays, a week-long Holiday Rowing Course was held, culminating in a fun ‘mini-Regatta’ on the Friday with medals for winners and participants.
Over 100 children were engaged from the 3 schools involved, with 1,400 attendances over the year at school ‘rowing clubs’. There were 78 attendances at water-based rowing sessions, and 4 pupils from 2 of the schools involved have joined local Rowing Clubs.
The project was activated by funded from the National Lottery Sport England Small Grants Fund.
