New Training Centre for Walbrook Rowing Club
Walbrook Rowing Club opened the doors of its new training centre on Saturday 1st November. Lord Moynihan, Chair of the British Olympic Committee, cut the ribbon after being escorted to the club, by a flotilla of club members.
Set on the Thames between Kingston and Teddington the new training centre, which is shared with the Royal Canoe Club, The Skiff Club and Kingston Royals Dragon BC, gives members excellent training facilities with fantastic views of the river. This is a welcome relief for the members who have spent the last year training in the boathouse – not great fun in the bitter winter temperatures, but one way to encourage a good team spirit!
Lord Moynihan commented: "It has been a great day and I am pleased to open the new training facilities. I hope they encourage more people to find out about the joys of rowing and canoeing and who knows, this may even lead to a Olympic 2012 hopeful!"
Main grants awarded were from the BCU and ARA Community Club Development Programme (CDDP) portfolios, distributed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Further grants and interest free loans came from a number of charities including the London Marathon, Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity, the Peacock Foundation, the Grange Farm Trust and generous contributions from all the clubs involved. Without their support it would not have been possible to turn a dream into a reality.
Sean Holt, Sport England London Regional Director, said: "Full credit must go to the Royal Canoe Club and the Skiff Club Trust who have had the vision and appetite to undertake this ambitious project. I am confident that the new enhanced facility will have a tremendous impact on Sport England’s quest to get the capital participating in more sport and physical activity"
Walbrook Rowing Club started in 1963 and has a talented junior section and both the men’s and women’s squads had successful 2008 Regatta seasons. There is a strong coaching programme with everyone being given a personal programme to help them improve and reach their personal goals; varying from social rowing to rowers with sights set on rowing at Henley. The club has a diverse fleet of boats ranging from single sculls, doubles, quads, fours, to 3 Empacher eights … you name it, Walbrook has it.
Diane Graham, Head Women’s coach, added: "We hope that these new facilities combined with our excellent fleet of boats, and new coaching team which includes new junior coach Colin Lawson, that we will be able to attract new members – both established rowers and those new to the sport – to bring success once again to the club! We are very keen this year to point all our resources into helping those who want to train for HRR and HWR and to find the right coaches and boats for them to achieve their ambitions"
The club is always ready to welcome new members so if you are interested in joining please have a look at the club website www.walbrookrc.co.uk.
