September 16, 2007 News British Rowing NewsBritish Rowing EventsRowing CommunityGB Rowing TeamCompetitions and ClubsIndoor RowingPartners#YourStoriesArchive Yorkshire – Doncaster Rowing – Sport, Health and Education in Partnership Rowing Community In Doncaster over 3000 young people from 9 secondary and 3 special schools have taken part in regular activity organised by the Doncaster Schools Rowing Association (DSRA) and Doncaster Rowing Club. Working together both clubs have achieved the Sport England Clubmark award and helped drive up high quality sustainable participation. Doncaster Rowing Club is located in the deprived Hexthorpe area of the city and offers indoor and water activity to young people, adults and has an active programme for the over 50s. The club works closely with a range of local agencies to promote sport, physical activity, education and healthy living. The club forms an important part of the Community Sports Network and having Clubmark has enabled Doncaster MBC to prioritise working with the sport. ADVERT Club Captain Dudley Fletcher reports that “Using the Clubmark programme has given us a great structure to work through and helped raise our profile. There has been a huge growth in youth membership but this has also been backed by an expansion in adult participation. Our womens health and fitness programme has grown by more than 450%.” Indeed the club has strong links to both the Learning and Leisure Directorates within Doncaster MBC. With the club providing a strong physical activity programme the PCT Chairman is a strong advocate of their work. Working in partnership with Doncaster MBC the club has accessed a range of investment streams including capital and revenue funding from the Local Network Fund. Rory Semple from the national governing body sums up the partnership approach. “The most impressive aspect about how the Doncaster Clubs have operated is the way they have worked with a whole host of local agencies, not least the Local Authority. This has helped the club attract people who would probably never have thought about physical activity let alone rowing.” Through Clubmark and other national governing body programmes the DSRA provides three levels of support to young people. Firstly, health and fitness equipment is placed into school sites with staff and leaders trained in its safe and effective use. Secondly, schools are assisted by volunteers and a full time Community Sports Coach. Thirdly, pupils are invited to take part in water based activity at Doncaster Rowing Club which has recently been redeveloped through the Sport England / Amateur Rowing Association Community Club Development Programme. In this way a large number of people can take part in physical activity at a level that suits their interest and skill level. The programme is supported by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Doncaster PCT, South Yorkshire County Sports Partnership, Sport England Yorkshire and the Amateur Rowing Association. For further information please contact Doncaster MBC T – 01302 737935 E – [email protected] ADVERT