Tom’s tour of club visits around the country is drawing to a close, with the final visit taking place where he picked up a blade for the very first time, the University of Warwick Boat Club. Throughout his tour, the visits revealed many themes and key topics that will help shape the future strategy of British Rowing, keeping members and clubs at its heart. Here’s how he got on in Wessex and the Thames Region!
Wessex Region
It was fantastic to visit the Wessex region and spend time with some of our coastal clubs. The Coastal Rowing Centre in Studland kindly hosted me, alongside members and representatives from Coastal Barbarians and Poole Rowing Club. It was great to meet so many from the coastal rowing community and reflect on how coastal rowing, in all its formats, is gaining greater exposure. We discussed the British Rowing points system and opportunities to expand coastal competition opportunities.
Credit: Richard Lee
I was then able to visit Lymington Rowing Club. As winners of the British Rowing Club of the Year award, it is clear that Lymington epitomises a community club that is open to all and strongly believes in making rowing accessible to everyone in our community. It was brilliant to learn more about their approach to club management, the practices that contribute to their success, and also the key challenges they face.
Thames Region
Auriol Kensington Rowing Club
Attendance at Auriol Kensington from the Thames-based clubs was fantastic to see, with representatives from Furnivall Sculling Club, London Rowing Club, the Scullers Head, Thames Rowing Club and Dorney Boat Club. Conversation focused on how to get more people into volunteering roles, practical advice in developing clubs and the value that the British Rowing Club Leader Conference gave clubs in providing them with club development resources. We also discussed the cost of coaching courses and how to make these more accessible.
Kingston Rowing Club
Kingston Rowing Club kindly hosted me, with attendees also joining from many local clubs. Key discussions focused on the British Rowing points system, access to resources, support for new clubs in setting up, and the need for improved incident reporting systems.
Mortlake Anglian & Alpha Boat Club
It was a trip down memory lane returning to Mortlake Anglian & Alpha Boat Club. The facilities have developed significantly since my time there, and it was fantastic to see the club so well set up. President Keith Mahony kindly introduced me to everyone from MAA, and it was great to welcome two members from Quintin Boat Club and three from Putney Town Rowing Club into the conversation.
We discussed challenges of recruiting volunteers – as always, it is clear that their roles are crucial in allowing the sport to run. We also discussed our new Safeguarding Framework, launching on 1 June.
On a more personal note, it was fantastic to see my name on the blade above the bar from when I raced for Mortlake Anglian & Alpha in the Senior 3 Coxed Fours at the Fours Head of the River Race in 2003!
Marlow Rowing Club
Marlow Rowing Club kindly hosted me for a full day, where I met their senior, junior, adaptive and masters squads, as well as several committee members.
Asking the juniors what they love and dislike about rowing sparked a great discussion. The responses consistently mentioned enjoying training and reflecting on the friendships they’ve built. I was surprised that there was no mention of the ergo, only the difficulty of managing blisters!
Credit: Jason Riches
I was kindly invited onto the launch to follow a session with the adaptive squad. It was fantastic to see such a thriving programme and the club’s commitment to supporting adaptive rowers in getting out onto the water. We had valuable conversations about growing adaptive rowing further through targeted recruitment.
My discussion with the masters squad focused on coaching qualification development, the insurance benefits of British Rowing membership and the clubs approach to membership fees.
Tom’s final visit!
A full circle moment, Tom Solesbury will finish his tour at Warwick University Boat Club on 3 June, the club where he picked up a blade for the very first time. If you’d like to talk to Tom during this final visit, please contact your Regional Representative!
The post CEO visits: Tom heads to Wessex and returns home to Mortlake in the final few stages of his club visits appeared first on British Rowing.
