Area: Peterborough, East Anglia
About: Peterborough Rowing Club are a shining light in being a friendly, welcoming and inclusive club. Kate, who is visually impaired, enquired about rowing at the club approximately 8 years ago. They club coaches and Kate worked as a team on how best to include her. Kate fell in love with the sport that provided her with confidence, independence and freedom, and was keen to spread this love for rowing to more people with a visual impairment or sight loss.
Rowing is a very accessible sport for people with sight loss. Unlike so many other sports, there is no part of rowing that requires you to see what you’re doing. It’s about listening to an internal rhythm, locking into that pace, matching seamlessly those in front and behind you, dropping the blade at the same spot at every stroke. Developing an instinctive ‘feel’ for the boat. Using this unique experience, Love Rowing worked with Peterborough City RC and local sight loss charity, Camsight, to create Row the Rhythm, regular introductory rowing sessions and transport for people with a visual impairment.
The initial pilot was supported by funding from Sport England, and based on its success and growing demand, Love Rowing was able to obtain funding from the Boost Charitable Trust, Peter Harrison Foundation and National Lottery to establish a comprehensive Row the Rhythm programme at Peterborough City RC supported by Camsight. Row the Rhythm at Peterborough now consists of monthly indoor rowing, water rowing and social activities and weekly development sessions to assist the transition to club membership. There are now 17 Row the Rhythm participants, and 6 have progressed to become club members. Row the Rhythm continues to break down barriers around transport and affordability, and is supported by the amazing volunteers at the club who provide one to one support for the Row the Rhythm participants.
Impact:
Love Rowing aims to create more Row the Rhythm courses across the UK based on this model, and lead a national campaign through facilitated partnerships with visual impairment community organisations.