Jane Hall – ARA National Volunteer of the Year 2008

During the last ten years City of Bristol Rowing Club (CBRC) has grown from a small club with a few boats into a popular and successful sports club. Membership is increasing in all areas of the club and we are launching new projects each year.

Since joining the club in 2003 Jane Hall has been one of the club’s most active volunteers, taking a lead in some of the club’s main projects. After two years as women’s squad captain, Jane decided to focus on the club’s development, primarily applying for grants to buy new rowing kit and fundraising for our project to build a new clubhouse.

Jane has spent many hours researching and writing grant applications. Her efforts were rewarded with great success and the junior and women’s squads in particular are reaping the benefits:

• £10000 towards new coaching/safety launch engine and women’s coxed four (2007)
• £14000 towards a new women’s eight and double scull – allowed us to increase the size of our club’s women membership (2008)
• £11250 towards women’s coxed four, junior coxed quad , novice and adaptive TS515, and blades for each, once again increasing our prospective membership and enlarging our versatility and scope (2008)

In the next few years we will see a significant milestone in the club’s history. We are going to build a brand new clubhouse which will provide rooms for coaching juniors, a gym, changing facilities and a focus for all our club activity. Everyone in the club supports the project but some people are indispensable. Finding money for the construction is obviously very important! Jane is a key member of the team of talented individuals volunteering their free time for this project. Jane has introduced our first major sponsor with a pledge to build the lift tower.

Jane also introduced, developed and organised the club’s corporate rowing event. Our event last summer raised £3500 net, for the club and rejuvenated the Summer Regatta.
Jane learnt from the experiences of other clubs in the UK who’d used the format and brought it to Bristol. The result of her work was amazing. Eight crews, comprising employees from Bristol businesses, signed up for the event and learnt to row over four weeks in August. Feedback from the crews was very positive and all thoroughly enjoyed the racing. Jane is also responsible for 2008’s corporate rowing event and many of last year’s crews have already signed up again. Her expertise on running corporate rowing is now used by other clubs in the Wiltshire, Avon, Gloucestershire and Somerset (WAGS) area who are considering running similar events.

Jane is a talented and motivated individual with a desire to increase participation in rowing through the development of our club. Through her enthusiasm she is able clearly to explain the club’s projects, aims and strategy to our local community, funding organisations and business. Without her work the club would not be as active as it is today. Jane is a valued club member. Everyone knows Jane and she spends many hours down at the boathouse, on the water and working at home on club projects, which is great proof of her devotion to the club.

By applying for an award for her, we want to thank her for her devotion to our club.

City of Bristol Rowing Club Committee