Perhaps naively, it was not until my tenth year in the rowing world when I discovered that Henley Royal is far more than just a regatta. Admittedly, this was probably not helped as a junior, the dizzying heights of the prestigious event were not seen as an immediate possibility until my j16 year, which then in turn was promptly halted by covid-19. Hence, I was almost surprised to discover that Henley Royal Regatta hosted a charity: the Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust (HRRCT), which has supported grassroots programmes across the UK for over 30 years, quietly investing over £4.8 million to those in need, under the nose of British rowers.
HRRCT’s goal is “to encourage and support young people, still receiving education or undergoing training to row or scull” and has helped facilitate the success of big names such as London Youth Rowing (since 2004) and more recently Warrington Youth Rowing (since 2017). In addition to other lesser known programmes: Oarsome Chance and the Rowing Foundation who see achievement behind the scenes. It is my ambition to write in depth about these schemes in the future to bring light them individually.
Perhaps naively, it was not until my tenth year in the rowing world when I discovered that Henley Royal is far more than just a regatta.
In October, the HRRCT hosted ‘Rocking the Boat 2022’ where 17 guest speakers discussed ‘rebuilding sporting communities following covid and addressing the issue of diversity in rowing’. In the lead up, there was multiple posts made on social media, which in turn generated over 200 guests from 100 institutions across the UK (a number grown from the previous year). Powerful players such as Scottish Rowing and Dorney Lake attended to listen to speakers from Sport England, British Rowing and, on an international scale, Community Rowing Boston. Significantly, Scott Whitfield of Liverpool John Moores University presented the findings of his PHD study, which assessed the successes of the Warrington Youth Rowing programme, concluding that the scheme was directly beneficial to young lives and justified the thinking and fuelling to similar organisations. Considering both how far reaching and informative Rocking the Boat was, it seems that a lack of awareness of the inequality in rowing is no longer an excuse.
Henley Royal Regatta’s instagram page even features a success story of two Warrington Rowing athletes: Elle Kadir and Iffy Marinos, two of the first people to get involved with the initiative, who are now going to row for US collegiate programmes. When confronted with real-time stories, how can we not acknowledge the power sport has to uplift those in otherwise disadvantaged circumstances. I suggest these stories may fly under the radar because of disbelief, or because they simply are not relevant in the lives of readers, but this does not negate their importance to our sport as a whole.
When confronted with real-time stories, how can we not acknowledge the power sport has to uplift those in otherwise disadvantaged circumstances.
So why don’t more people know about this and why is an organisation like Henley Royal Regatta not celebrating it to a greater extent? It must be said there is advertisement on social media for the HRRTC, as well as at the regatta itself, in the form of a billboard in the stewards enclosure (upgraded to the centre of Stewards for 2022 from a measly corner of the trophy tent in previous years). But surely at an event which draws ‘rowing traditionalists’, it’s almost dutiful that guests should be educated on what rowing is growing to be, but moreover what is needs to be in order to thrive. We as athletes in this sport are hugely privileged, rowing supports our education, social circle and career opportunities and as one big network, acknowledging that privilege and sharing it with those who could never break their socio-economic position otherwise should be a priority. The fact that we as a sporting platform are able to do so needs to be worn with pride. I believe it is our job to promote the doings of the HRRTC to a wider audience and break the long-standing preconception of elitism in rowing.
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