Our Charity
The vision for our charity is a simple one, Rowing for All. We want to give access to rowing to a cross-section of our community, especially those who are most in need because of financial hardship or social circumstances and help them realise their full potential both on and off the water.
We have four key initiatives to deliver Rowing for All:
- Boats Not Bars - Helping reduce the reoffending rate of serving prisoners through access to indoor and outdoor rowing clubs.
- State School Rowing - Giving every pupil in our participating state schools the opportunity to learn to row and compete whilst teaching them the true meaning of teamwork, focus and confidence.
- Free Water Sports Weeks - Providing free-to-attend courses during the summer and Easter break for those children most in need.
- Junior Membership and Bursary places - Delivering affordable access to the river for the local community with our fun, friendly and flexible club environment.
We also strongly believe in "The health of our space that's the place for our health".
Environmental Impact - We are committed to being environmental stewardship and sustainability so that we can be positive role models to everyone we work with.
Our foundations
The foundation for the success of FRBC can be distilled down to six key ways of working:
Impact of Rowing for All
In 2023 we achieved the following impact across our initiatives, the full community impact report can be found here.
BOATS NOT BARS
- 6 prison sites supporting 142 prison residents through 147 sessions.
- 29 achieved British Rowing Go Row Indoor Qualifications
- 14% increase in the motivation to get up in the morning.
- 18% increase in physical activity levels.
“I believe the programme works well because it enables the prisoners to work together on something outside of their usual routine. It provides them with a new experience and a shared goal. Rowing requires stamina and patience, the team have worked incredibly hard to increase their fitness and this has in turn improved their self-confidence and also confidence in each other.”
STATE SCHOOL ROWING
- 10 state school partnerships we reached 866 children and young people through 487 sessions.
- 95% of survey respondents enjoyed being on the river and learning to row.
- 15% increase in the children identifying themselves as ‘physically active’.
- 88% agreed that they had learned to work as part of a team.
- 62% believe rowing has helped teach them how to focus more.
- 84% agreed that they feel more confident on the river.
FREE WATER SPORTS WEEKS
- 5 blocks of Free Water Sports Weeks over Easter and Summer reached 89 children and young people through 105 hours of free holiday activities.
- 74% of those attending were from diverse ethnic communities and lived in an area with an IMD (Index of Multiple Deprivation) level 4 or below,
- 100% enjoyed being on the river and learning to row.
- 17% increase in the children identifying themselves as ‘physically active’
- 86% agreed that they had learned to work as part of a team.
- 91% believe rowing has helped teach them how to focus more.
- 100% agreed that they feel more confident on the river.
JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP AND REACH PATHWAY BURSARIES
- 138 children and young people, 32 supported with a free bursary place, benefiting from over 700 sessions.
- 72% of members were female
- 75% described rowing as fun and sociable
- 95% said rowing has helped with their fitness and health.
- 95% said rowing has helped with their mental wellbeing.
- 95% said rowing has helped with their teamwork skills.
- 63% said rowing has helped with their ability to focus and study.
- 84% said that rowing has helped with their self-confidence