Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust and London Youth Rowing place wellbeing and diversity at the heart of renewed partnership.
Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust (HRRCT) extends its support of London Youth Rowing (LYR), as the successful Active Row programme expands into Leeds.
Through Active Row, HRRCT funding will help to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of over 3,000 young people through indoor and on-water rowing, coaching and training.
A specific new coach development programme, funded by HRRCT, will target improved inclusion in rowing.
Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust (HRRCT) is pleased to continue its support of London Youth Rowing (LYR) with a three-year funding partnership, as LYR expands its successful Active Row programme outside of London for the first time.
The support of HRRCT will allow Active Row to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of thousands of young people, who have faced unprecedented challenges as a result of the pandemic. Active Row will broaden its reach in 2021 with a programme in Leeds to complement its existing success in some of London’s most disadvantaged boroughs.
The initiative is expected to engage over 3,000 young people through indoor and on-water rowing, with a firm focus on improving equality, inclusivity and diversity.
Of the 11-18-year-olds introduced to rowing by LYR in 2019-20, prior to the pandemic, 69% were from ethnic minority backgrounds, 49% were female and 8% were SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) participants.
Active Row’s expansion into Leeds will amplify the charity’s diversity focus, while providing a hugely important platform for young people looking to bounce back after lockdown. Active Row Leeds will build on the work of RowLeeds to provide indoor rowing machines and full-time coaches in at least 17 secondary schools across the city.
Meanwhile, LYR will continue its provision of equipment and personnel to over 60 London schools. Over the next 18 months, the programme will also include the addition of a Coaching Development Programme, Step Up, directly supported by HRRCT.
Junior rowers from both cities will also be introduced to the sport’s biggest junior competition, the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships (NJIRC), which takes place online for the first time in May 2021, again with support from HRRCT.
Sir Steve Redgrave CBE, Chairman of Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust said:
“The Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust is proud to continue to support the fantastic work of London Youth Rowing through its Active Row programme and our continued funding of NJIRC. The Trust is committed to providing opportunities to make rowing more inclusive and provide opportunities for young people to enjoy the immense benefits the sport can have on both their physical and mental wellbeing. The success of the Active Row programme over the past four years has been a great achievement and we are thrilled to be able to fund the expansion of the programme to Leeds as well as support the new Step Up coaching programme, which provides an effective pathway through the sport, ensuring that the positive effects on participation and inclusivity are sustainable in the long term.”
Matt Rostron, CEO, London Youth Rowing said:
“We are incredibly excited to be re-launching Active Row London from April 2021, with the support of Sport England, Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust and City Bridge Trust. The programme in London forms the bedrock of our work to help young people from underrepresented backgrounds to get active and to experience the benefits of rowing. Coming out of Covid, supporting young people in this way will be more important than ever. We are also thrilled to be working with Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust and RowLeeds to launch a version of the programme, ActiveRowLeeds, outside the capital for the first time.”
Find out more about the work of the Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust here.
Find out more about the work of London Youth Rowing.
