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 7 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 suffering 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 has 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.

Impact: The initial pilot was supported by funding from Sport England, and based on its success and growing demand, Love Rowing are working with Peterborough City RC and Camsight to maintain the sessions, and transition participants into integrated members of the club, with funding through grants, trust and foundations. 

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.