Rowing stars and local dignitaries gather to celebrate official Infinity BC launch

The Stockton-based club is a charity that aims to change young lives in Teesside through the sport of rowing

Olympic and Paralympic Champions Sir Matthew Pinsent, Gregg Stevenson and Georgie Brayshaw joined the King’s Representative, the Lord-Lieutenant of Durham Sue Snowdon, who declared the club officially open, Deputy Mayor for Stockton on Tees Councillor Stephen Richardson and many other guests on 1 December to hear more about the club’s transformative work so far and meet many of the current athletes. It was the athletes who provided the real sparkle on the night as they stole the show with their row past, followed up with intellectual and witty exchanges with Sir Matt whilst being interviewed.

Infinity BC was set up by Stephen Peel in 2022, in conjunction with Love Rowing. The club had its first full season in 2023/24.  Today around 160 children aged 13 to 15 (school years 8, 9 and 10) are training at the club regularly – the eldest now doing up to nine sessions per week.

In addition, the club has taken indoor rowing into seven local secondary schools in Stockton and Middlesborough, with over 5,000 children in the past twelve months having a chance to experience this great sport. Its current partner schools are St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Academy, North Shore Academy, Grangefield Academy, Bishopsgarth Academy, Thornaby Academy, Northfield Academy, and Macmillan Academy. These include schools with some of the highest percentage of pupils on pupil premium, who recieve free school meals and uniforms, in the country. Almost half of the club’s athletes live in postcodes in the bottom decile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation. Infinity Boat Club is open to all and free.

The club operates out of its own boathouse in Stockton, which is equipped with a fleet of over 30 racing shells and also includes a gym with a full equipped weight training area and ergo room, plus club room and kitchen.

Olympic Champion Georgie Brayshaw with an Infinity BC athlete. (Photo: Gary Walsh Photography)

Chief Executive Keith Brown says, “We believe our young athletes should have the opportunity to compete alongside all other school children in the major national UK junior competitions.  The full-time coaching team aspires to bring the club to a level where its athletes are regularly finalists at National Schools Regatta and the British Rowing Championships.”

This year, Infinity BC won the the Open J14 Octuple Sculls C final at National Schools Regatta and the Open J15 Quadruple Sculls C final at the British Rowing Junior and Senior Club Championships, where a women’s J14 crew also competed. One athlete won his age group at both the British Rowing and the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships in 2023/24. And just last weekend, the club returned triumphant from the British Rowing Infdoor Championships with two relay team  J15 silver medals.

Lord-Lieutenant of Durham Sue Snowdon said, “I am passionate about young people having every chance in life, knowing that with support, encouragement, guidance and hard work, there is no limit to what they can achieve irrespective of gender , background, or ethnicity, and I delighted to see the club growing and doing such valuable work.”

Mike Macgrother, a community worker in Stockton, added, “It was inspiring and emotional and I felt incredibly proud to come from Stockton-on-Tees.

Debbie Law, Head Teacher at partner school St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Academy, said “The children have come into school today talking very animatedly about meeting real Olympians and how thankful they are for having an opportunity to be involved in a sport they would never otherwise have had.”