Fulham Reach Boat Club
Charity number: 1161813
Website: www.fulhamreachboatclub.com
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Description:
The vision for our charity is a simple one, Rowing for All. We use sport as a development tool by providing access to rowing to a cross-section of our community, especially those who are most in need due to financial hardship or social circumstances and help them realise their full potential both on and off the water.
We exist to tackle inequalities in our community:
52.8% of children and young people struggle to meet the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of taking part in sport and physical activity for an average of 60 minutes or more every day (Sport England, 2021-2022).
46% of prison leavers re-offend within 1 year of release (Ministry of Justice, 2016); the Ministry of Justice states that participation in sport can contribute to efforts to reduce reoffending.
And inequalities to access in our sport:
Only 9% of rowers are from lower socioeconomic groups compared with 47% of the population (British Rowing, 2021). 6% of British Rowing members are from ethnically diverse communities (British Rowing, 2021). 83% of schools affiliated with British Rowing are independent (Love Rowing, 2023)
To make this happen, we have two well-established pathways, targeting youth development and prisoner reform:
Our Youth programme creates the opportunity for children and young people to experience the benefits of sport and learn to row for free via their schools either before, during, or after school hours, and during school holidays via Free Water Sports Weeks. Additionally, we support and nurture talented rowers via our junior membership programme and support those in need with free bursaries.
Our Boats Not Bars programme provides the opportunity for prisoners to experience the benefits of sport by learning to row indoors, which provides the foundation for learning to row post-release and connects them to a support network and a community to help them live a life away from crime.
See one our programmes in action here youtube.com/watch?v=Wfy_nncUCaU !