New funding available to help clubs offer adaptive rowing

February 24, 2023

British Rowing announces financial and practical support for clubs to increase participation in adaptive rowing

Adaptive rowing is a daily part of rowing life in 39 clubs across Britain already and we are now looking to work with more clubs to support rowers with adaptive needs to make our sport truly accessible and one that is enjoyed by all. You can find out more about adaptive rowing here.

Working closely with the Adaptive Working Group, our ambition is to double the number of clubs supporting adaptive rowing or offering mixed rowing opportunities (where adaptive rowers row with mainstream rowers) to increase participation in adaptive rowing in England by the end of 2023. So, if your club wants new members, we encourage you to include those with adaptive needs.

British Rowing support for clubs to develop adaptive rowing

We have developed a special package of support to get you started, even if it’s for just one adaptive rower in your area.

This ‘just start with one’ approach means that supporting adaptive rowers doesn’t have to be extensive; we already know that many of the best adaptive rowing programmes across the country started off small through simply providing access for someone who wanted to get involved with the sport.

Our aim is to help you make it is easy as possible for your club to support adaptive rowers in your community with:

FREE coaching advice and workshops as to how best to support rowers with different needs
Funding support for an equipment starter pack via the Adaptive Equipment Fund (see below for more on this) to help you adapt existing boats and provide the support your rowers need from stabilisers to seats
Mentoring advice and support from those across the community who have years of experience in supporting rowers with adaptive needs
Opportunities for people with an impairment to become adaptive rowing coaches and share their experiences with more people wanting to row indoors or on the water.

So, if you want to get involved and be part of adaptive rowing’s growth please contact us on [email protected] with some details about what you would like to do and we’ll be in touch to help you get started.

Launch of the Adaptive Equipment Fund

British Rowing is excited to announce the launch of a new Adaptive Equipment Fund, in partnership with Sport England, for all types of clubs that want to start or build on their existing adaptive rowing activity. Grants are expected to be in the range of approximately £500 to £1,000.

What equipment does the fund support?

As the name ‘adaptive rowing’ implies, rowing equipment sometimes needs to be adapted to support the athlete with a disability. The Fund will support a range of equipment to adapt new or existing boats or indoor rowing machines, but the grants do not cover the full or partial cost of boats or rowing machines themselves.

Here are some examples of equipment the Fund will support:

Stabilisers are the most common piece of specialist equipment used to help athletes with an impairment get out on the water. These are special floats, which are attached to the ends of the riggers to provide some extra balance to the boat; much like an outrigger on a canoe. There are two main stabilisers on the market, sold by WinTech and Swift. The British Rowing Adaptive Working Group will advise you on the best stabiliser for your requirements, based on the type of impairments that you expect athletes using the boat to have and what boat you intend to use. Note – stabilisers are usually detachable so they can be added for the adaptive session and removed for mainstream use.
Supportive fixed seats are usually needed for athletes with more extensive physical impairments. Most fixed seat rowers are also wheelchair users. Again, several models are available, and the Adaptive Working Group will provide advice as to which fixed seat is best for the athlete and boat concerned.
Finally, rowing can often be made accessible to athletes with minor impairments just by adding a small piece of kit to enable them to row effectively on the water or indoors, such as alternative hand grips.

You can find out more about types of adaptive rowing equipment here.

How to apply for an Adaptive Equipment Fund grant

If your club has an adaptive rower but lacks the appropriate equipment to support them, or you want to welcome such a rower into your club, please contact us on [email protected]. The Adaptive Working Group will be in contact to advise on the appropriate equipment for your project. The Group will then guide you through the application process.

Applications for the equipment fund will be open between 24 February and 31 March 2023.