News
Release 12/07/00
Eight
new boats named in flagship Oxford project
Eight new boats worth
£55,000 which have been awarded to the City of Oxford Rowing Club were
named tonight during a special ceremony at the clubhouse near Donnington
Bridge. The boats were funded through the Project
Oarsome initiative - flagship scheme of the ARA's National
Junior Rowing Programme, which aims to attract up to 30,000
schoolchildren across the country into rowing over the next three years.
The eights boats - four
single sculls, two double sculls and two coxed quads - were named after
seven of the state schools the participating children belong to: Isis;
Cardinal Newman; Cherwell; John Mason; Larkrise; New Hinksey and St Ebbe;
with the eight boat christened "Lawrence Belcher" after
the guest of honour at the proceedings. Mr Belcher was the first
President of the City of Oxford Rowing Club, which was formed after the
two rival clubs Hannington and Neptune merged in 1968.
A ninth boat which has been
used over the past two months by the juniors was also named
"Wheatley Park".
Junior squad coach Ian Smith
said: "Juniors as young as 8 years old are taught to scull on
Hinksey Lake by fully-qualified ARA coaches, and graduate to the river
once they have achieved an appropriate level of proficiency.
"In total, the Junior
Squad on the two sites amounts to around 40 children ranging in age from
J9 to J18. A number of new members who have passed their safety
certificates are about to start."
He added that the Junior
Squad had scored some notable successes in recent Regattas, including
two Gold, three Silver and two bronze medals.
City of Oxford Rowing Club
and Hinksey Sculling School raised £9000 and £2000 respectively
towards the initiative, and the remaining funding was provided through Project
Oarsome by the Amateur
Rowing Association (ARA), the Henley
Stewards Charitable Trust, Sport
England and the Go Row
Scheme.
July 12, 2000.
Issued by:
Chris Thomson, City of Oxford Rowing Club.
Further information:
Ian Smith, City of Oxford
Rowing Club 01865 244415
Chris Thomson, City
of Oxford Rowing Club, 07831 546975
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