Area: Leeds

About: The Gorse Academies Trust (TGAT) are all state schools in Leeds that have an above average number of pupils in receipt of free school meals. TGAT are an example of an initiative really paving the way for rowing to be a viable option for state schools to include in their physical education curriculum. The Academy delivers indoor rowing to up to 5,800 students per year! A staggering number.

Love Rowing’s grant provided funds for 6 weeks of on-water taster sessions for students who were already rowing indoor. This was used as an incentive to attending school and completing their exams.

Impact: Gorse Academy successfully ran their taster courses for 323 children. They were also able to provide each student with an ice cream which made all the difference to the children. This was the first time many of these students rowed on water and it was a huge success. The rowing programme is now a sustainable part of school life at the Gorse Academy.

Link: If you would like to find out more about the Gorse Academies Trust, please visit https://www.tgat.org.uk/, or follow @tgbc_leeds on Instagram. We continue to seek funds to maximise this programme for the young people at the Gorse Boat Club.