Community Impact
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.”
Nelson Mandela
We are proud to share our Community Impact Report for 2023/24. This report has used an updated surveying approach informed by Sport England and includes new areas of impact for adaptive rowing and environmental action.
Our easy to read version is available here Community Impact Report 2023/24 Short (coming soon)
This year’s full report is available here Community Impact Report 2023/24 and below is a summary. Last year’s report is available here Community Impact Report 2022/23.
Summary of Community Impact 2023-24
FOREWORD
This extraordinary collection of stories and experiences at Fulham Reach Boat Club inspires and reminds us how sport can be a force for good in our communities in ways that are more needed than ever. It offers a thorough demonstration of how sport can fulfil a crucial societal role that goes way beyond scoreboards and league tables.
This impact report details how Fulham Reach Boat Club has further developed its pioneering role within rowing as well as within sport more widely over the past year. In a world full of silos and tickboxes, FRBC works meaningfully across traditional boundaries, thinking in the broadest, smartest sense about how rowing can contribute positively at a community level as well as individual level. Their activities support youth development, crime prevention, access to sport for people with disabilities, and raising awareness and protection of the local environment.
The extended FRBC family of staff, members, rowers and volunteers have all contributed to the breadth and depth of impact on all who have benefited from FRBC’s activities. Their programmes have been recognized by incredible accolades at a local level, from Hammersmith & Fulham Council, at a national level from the Sport & Recreational Alliance, and at an international level, from World Rowing.
In every example, it’s the impact on individual lives that is the ticking heartbeat of Fulham Reach Boat Club, and the club makes no secret of its ambitions to build on the impact to date and demonstrate further how sport can impact our communities positively and play a major role in the key social issues of our time.
Dr Cath Bishop OLY
Olympic Medallist and World Champion Rower, Leadership and Culture Coach, and Author of The Long Win.
Trustee of Love Rowing (British Rowing’s Charitable Foundation), Steward of Henley Royal Regatta and President of Marlow Rowing Club.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fulham Reach Boat Club (FRBC) achieved significant growth and impact across youth development, crime prevention, adaptive rowing, and environmental work in 2023/24.
By fostering inclusivity and using rowing as a tool for social change, FRBC supported over 1,300 young people through its youth pathways, offering life-changing opportunities to build physical and mental health, teamwork, and confidence.
Partnerships with schools in deprived areas and initiatives like Free Water Sport Weeks ensured accessibility, for low-income families and underrepresented groups.
The inaugural Youth Boat Race in partnership with The Boat Race and the inclusion of alternative provision and state schools further expanded FRBC’s reach. FRBC Junior Squad developed young athletes, including five who transitioned to coaching roles. Participant feedback highlighted rowing’s transformative impact, with over 90% reporting improved fitness and teamwork skills.
The Boats Not Bars initiative continued to lead in crime prevention, providing 141 prisoners with indoor rowing programs that foster resilience, self-confidence, and hope. Through collaborations with seven prisons and local rowing clubs, FRBC equipped participants with coaching qualifications and offered post-release engagement, reducing reoffending risks. Surveys demonstrated significant improvements in well-being, motivation, and anxiety levels, showcasing the program’s success as an innovative approach to rehabilitation.
Simultaneously, FRBC’s adaptive rowing program took its first steps toward creating inclusive opportunities for disabled athletes, offering personalised coaching to help participants build confidence and discover their love of the sport.
FRBC’s environmental stewardship efforts tackled local river pollution and promoted sustainability in sport. Initiatives included river clean-ups, citizen science water quality testing, and the introduction of an electric coaching boat to cut carbon emissions. These efforts engaged over 400 community members and removed nearly a ton of rubbish from the Thames. Leading in environmental action, FRBC is setting a standard for integrating environmental sustainability responsibility into sports.
In a year which FRBC celebrated its 10-year anniversary, its amazing work did not go unnoticed as FRBC was proud to be awarded:
- Sport Business Award for Innovation in November 2023,
- Sport Recreational Alliance’s Community Club of the Year 2024 by HRH Duke of Edinburgh in March 2024,
- Mayoral Charity of the Year for Hammersmith & Fulham in June 2024, and
- World Rowing Programme of the Year in November 2024.
Looking ahead, the FRBC aims to continue to drive positive change in health, inclusion, and environmental awareness through the transformative power of rowing.
Youth Development
We were proud to share that:
1,101 students representing 11 state schools, participated in 574 of rowing sessions in 2023/24. This is a significant uplift of 27% of the 866 students that participated with FRBC in 2023/24.
- 70% of the state schools we work with are located in areas with index of deprivation (IMD) of either 4 or below. IMD is a 10-point scale with 1 being the most deprived; the deprivation of the school location is a reliable proxy for students attending.
- 78% of students identified as female
- 32 Students from 7 state schools took part in the inaugural Youth Boat Race.
72 young people participated in our Free Water Sport Weeks, taking part in 3,045 hours of accumulated activity.
- 77.5% were from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds was highest of all our programmes.
- 18% had special educational needs (SEN)
163 Junior Squad rowers with 20 on free bursary places completed a total of 4,229 sessions between them and raced at a range of local and national competitions like the Schools Head of River, Ball Cup, National Schools Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta, English Beach Sprint Championships and British Beach Sprint Championships
5 Junior rowers now work as coaches at FRBC, graduating from school in 2024 we have now been able to support and recruit these powerful ambassadors of our sport.
Powerful observations and participant feedback:
The following observations and quotes give a sense of the depth of impact and connection people develop through the initiatives at FRBC.
- “I’ve enjoyed the rowing sessions, it’s something I’ve never done before but the coaches make it so easy to learn” School student
- “Rowing was really great. All the coaches and volunteers were really nice and friendly. The talks were really helpful as well. It has been the best week of my life, as it was very productive. I learned so many things. The food was really good as well.” Free Water sport Week participant
- “I’ve been at the club for 4-5 years and I still learn every day, love the coaches and helping out with volunteering. Every time it’s fun and challenging” FRBC Junior Squad participant
- “We are new to the country. I enrolled my son for rowing the boat. He is 15 years old. He enjoyed it thoroughly and was very excited. Thank you so much for the wonderful activity. I heard that the food was really good.” Parent
- “Rowing for our students this year has had a great effect. It allows me to engage with students who can otherwise be disengaged in the classroom and build positive relationships with them” Teacher
- “I have really enjoyed working with Westside. I had no idea what to expect…but it’s clear that they all have stacks of ability and potential and it's our job to try and corral their energy and nurture an understanding of what it takes to make a good rower. The feedback from their teachers and their rapid commitment to our programme is a great validation of the work we are doing and the power of rowing as an agent of change” FRBC Coach
- “I started to restructure my life and knew that I wanted to get involved with the sport again. I have been coaching [at FRBC] on and off since 2017. There is a really strong culture of kindness, inclusivity and teamwork at the club that makes it a real pleasure just to spend time hanging out with other coaches, staff, members and kids.” FRBC Coach
Key outcomes for our participants:
To deep dive into our impact, we conducted a voluntary post-activity survey across all our youth programmes and received a total of 304 responses which represents a sample of 20%.
- 29.3% increase in the percentage of participants who considered themselves Active (achieving more than 60 minutes of activity per day).
- ‘Fun and Sociable’ was our highest-ranking perception of rowing, which is hugely positive as our activities need to be enjoyable
There was positive agreement that rowing supported with the following top statements:
- 91.7% Fitness and health
- 87.3% Teamwork skills
- 83.2% Safety around the river
- 66.5% Mental wellbeing
- 65.8% Connection with nature and the environment
Increasing the amount of opportunity to go rowing has positive relationship with outcomes measured.
Crime Prevention – Boats Not Bars
We are proud to share that:
- 141 In-prison participants took part in Boats Not Bars sessions
- 30 In-prison participants took part in skills training and achieved British Rowing “GoRow Indoor” Coaching certification
- 17 Participants of those who were eligible to take part on Temporary Licence/ Resettlement Days or post-release engagement activities, this was an increase of 70% on 2023
- 4 Volunteer rowing coaches supported Boats Not Bars delivery
- 1 additional rowing club, Marlow Rowing Club, supporting Boats Not Bars delivery
- 7 Prison sites deliver Boats Not Bars: HMP & YOI Feltham - male youth offenders and under 30-year-olds, HMP Brixton - adult male Category C and resettlement, HMP Send - adult female, HMP Bronzefield - privately run youth and adult female, HMP Spring Hill - adult male ‘open’/ Category D prison, HMP Huntercombe - adult male foreign nationals, and HMP Bullingdon – adult male Category B and remand.
In addition, we are aware that Boats Not Bars has inspired similar initiatives to be piloted in Australia, Italy and the Bahamas.
Powerful observations and participant feedback:
- “[Rowing] has been a great help and a lot more confident in myself, built a sense of family with my peers. Feel a lot better on fitness” Prison participant
- “I feel a lot more confident in myself. Something to look forward to socially when released as I struggle to socialise.” Prison participant
- “The support we received from the trainer has been so life changing giving us new skills and confidence.” Prison participant
- “The rowing experience and ROTL [Release on Temporary Licence] gives the prisoners an opportunity to work together through education and exercise. Being part of a positive, productive team, that collectively focuses on the common good, has not necessarily been something that they have experienced before.” Prison staff
- “Everyone is equal when they are rowing together and thus judged on what they are doing in the here and now. We know that they have committed offences and that is why they are in prison, but our aim is to support the men to look to the future (and not the past) and to try and focus on what may come next in their journeys beyond prison.” Paul Hooper, HMP Huntercombe Gym Staff
Key outcomes:
To dive deeper into our impact all prison participants complete a pre and post activity survey.
There was positive agreement that BNB programme supported with the following:
- 92% Wellbeing
- 88% Self-confidence
- 86% Teamworking skills
- 86% More hopeful about the future
- 85% fitness
Additionally positive shift in the following areas:
- 15.7% Increase in motivation
- 10.9% Decrease in anxiety
Adaptive Rowing
Adaptive rowing is a new area for FRBC and we aspire to grow a permanent offer to support disabled people. FRBC has been working closely with Victa and Love Rowing to develop a regular adaptive rowing programme. Alongside other engagement activities like coffee mornings with local disability charity, Action On Disability, to create positive community connections, increase awareness of the sport and FRBC.
In 2024, Fulham Reach Boat Club hosted the first of hopefully many inspiring "Row the Rhythm" taster sessions for visually impaired and blind people.
Environmental Action
We are proud to report that:
- 233 people have taken part in 31 Water Quality tests
- 174 people have taken part in 12 River Clean up sessions
- 740kg or rubbish cleared from the Hammersmith and Fulham Reach foreshore
- 1 Electric launch fitted and running since January 2024