British Rowing wins UK Coaching Green Award

British Rowing received the inaugural Green Award for our efforts in sustainability

British Rowing was delighted to receive the first-ever UK Coaching ‘Green Award’. The award was presented last night at the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds by the Chair of UK Coaching, Michelle Bramley, alongside Sport England Chair Chris Boardman.

The award, new for the 2025 UK Coaching Awards, recognised British Rowing’s commitment to environmental sustainability within coaching practices and was judged on how we:

• Created awareness and education of the impact of the climate crisis on sport and physical activity in the UK amongst rowing coaches.
• Showed practical steps to take by clubs, coaches and rowers in order to be prepared for the consequences of a deteriorating climate and water environment.
• Embedded sustainability into coaching regular practice.

The ceremony is an annual celebration of great coaching across all sports and levels of participation.

Receiving the award on behalf of British Rowing were Sustainability Lead Rachel Dulai and Head of Qualifications and Training Development Rachel Hooper. Both have shaped the nomination submission that reflected not only the work of the governing body, but the work of everyone in the sport. Reflecting on the role of coaches and sustainable practice, Rachel Dulai said, “It is great to see that, following the launch of British Rowing’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy last year, this has been adopted by coaches, rowers and clubs.

“We are starting to see coaches foster a real care for the environment in their everyday practices and therefore the rowers working with them to help protect our field of play – rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the sea.”

Credit: UK Coaching

Meanwhile, Rachel Hooper shared that the lived experiences of coaches mean that they are faced with the impact of climate change, invasive species and pollution as an ongoing consideration as part of their coaching practice.

“Coaches are faced with the reality of climate change and pollution in particular with such frequency that they have to be evermore adaptable and creative to make sure rowers continue to have a great experience in the sport,” explained Rachel.

“As a governing body, we want to support their well-being in the face of ongoing challenges and uncertainty, along with creating suitable learning opportunities and resources so they lead the change. This award recognises the coaches and programmes that have taken on board the messages in our strategy to really embrace what it means to be part of the change for a cleaner, greener sport.”

Please look out for news of our next webinar on 14 January about non-native invasive plant species that are very nearly preventing rowing in some clubs. How to spot them and what to do about them if you do see one!