Lord Rosser links to Rowing

As part of Sport England’s Parliamentary Sports Fellowship Scheme, Lord Rosser met adults and young people from Oundle Town Rowing Club on Wednesday 15th July. He watched some of the club’s juniors rowing on the water and is pictured below taking a trip on a coaching launch to observe some coaching.

During his visit and tour of the boathouse, built with the support of CCDP funding, Lord Rosser was  treated to afternoon tea and cakes, baked for the occasion by Oundle Town RC club members. The club was delighted that he agreed to take part in a boat-naming ceremony as a special thank you to ARA coach, Nathalie Phillips for the outstanding support she has given the club. 

Nathalie is one of the ARA scholarship coaches sponsored by the Henley Stewards Charitable Trust.  After the visit Lord Rosser said, "I was struck by the enthusiasm and determination to progress even further forward shown by the leaders of the club and the numbers of younger people they have encouraged to take up rowing."

Lord Rosser has many links to the prison service and his next outing to the West Midlands Regional Rowing base at Worcester Rowing Club on 23rd July, gave him the opportunity to learn about the work that the ARA is doing with the National Offender Management Service.  He met some of the ARA staff and PE officers from the Youth Offender Institutes who will be taking part in a new ARA initiative.  Maddie Millichap, an ARA coach funded by the Club & Coach programme, led a seminar on the health benefits and techniques of indoor rowing and the prison officers were able to try their hand at rowing on the water.

Lord Rosser said, "I was very impressed with the commitment shown on behalf of both the ARA and the Prison Service staff to develop opportunities for young offenders to participate in rowing activity."

Sport England’s Parliamentary Sports Fellowship Scheme was set up in 2007 with the aim of building stronger relationships between sport and parliamentarians.  The ARA was a founder member of the scheme and was delighted to be linked with Lord Rosser earlier this year. The purpose is to give our linked MP or Peer a unique insight into the sport from grass-roots to elite participation. Lord Rosser is also keen to give the ARA an insight into the workings of parliament and will be hosting a visit to the Houses of Parliament in the Autumn.