FRBC Wins the BASIS Community Impact Award
On 25th November, the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) hosted their annual awards at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. Fulham Reach Boat Club was honoured to be shortlisted — and absolutely thrilled to be announced as the winner of the Community Impact Award, one of the most competitive categories of the evening.
This award is a powerful endorsement of our environmental and community work, and we would like to extend our thanks to the BASIS judging panel for recognising the impact of our approach. It reinforces our belief that thinking local and acting global is how community sport can drive real, meaningful change for people and the planet.
We also want to acknowledge the outstanding initiatives alongside us on the shortlist:
- Sustainability Learning Conference – Blackburn Rovers Community Trust & Sustainability Learning CIC
- Eat, Sleep, Ride
- The Big Paddle Cleanup – Paddle UK
- Kit Out – StreetGames
Each of these projects demonstrates how unique and important the role of sport can be as a platform for sustainability, learning, and collective action.
FRBC was represented at the ceremony by CEO Adam Freeman-Pask and Allan Munro-Faure, the creator of our first electric coaching boat — a symbol of our mission to transform boating on the Thames. Reflecting on the win, Adam said: “This is another amazing accolade for our special charity. We really didn’t think we were in the running, so it’s incredible that industry experts recognise the depth and energy behind our environmental work. We want sustainability to be woven into the fabric of rowing — whether that’s through electric boat propulsion, offering a community charging station, hosting river clean-ups, collecting and publishing water-quality data, or running wildlife workshops during our holiday camps.”
Adam added: “We feel this is just the beginning of our journey. We’re always keen to build on our environmental work — so if you share this passion and can help, we’d love to connect and work together.”
The timing of this award couldn’t have been more fitting. The very next day, FRBC hosted an Electric Boat and Water Testing Demo Day, part of our charities commitment to open learning and shared innovation. We welcomed more than 20 people from across rowing and the wider marine sector to test four electric boats, explore charging solutions, and share practical insights. We would like to thank British Rowing, Port of London Authority, London Sport and Sport England for supporting and helping to promote this event.
We were also joined by Thames21, who water test weekly from our pontoon using laboratory analysis, while FRBC demonstrated our Fluidion ALERT One device — a remote water-quality monitor that allows us to test for E. coli and other indicators on-site each week. Together, our organisations are helping build a clearer, more accurate understanding of water health on the Thames.
Winning the BASIS Community Impact Award is recognition not just of what we’ve achieved, but of the community behind it — our volunteers, young people, partners, and supporters who make this work possible. Thank you for being part of the journey. This award is yours as much as ours.
