Globe Rowing Club (2010 – 2014)

Development Plan

Executive Summary

Vision & opportunity

To maintain and sustain Globe rowing club so as to create a sustainable model for participation in the sport and collaborative ethos of rowing.

To enable Globe rowing club to maintain and develop its membership, enabling members to both compete successfully or row for recreational purposes to the benefit of local people.

Membership

Current membership levels stand at 49 Full members; 15 Students; 5 Junior +; 13 Junior U13; 4 Associate; 11 Life members; 5 Honorary; 1 Coxswain. A number of visitor rowers take advantage of Globe RC facilities.

Globe RC believes contact with oversees clubs is important and aims to maintain existing links.

The Club will seek to maintain the present number of rowers and to gradually increase their number. We believe we must do this within the reality of the volunteer nature of our coaching ability.

Globe RC will actively seek to increase Associate members to provide a support group for rowers and the Club and generally increase interest in the sport.

The Club has a long tradition of attracting a broad based membership from all walks of life.

Many members live locally or within the borough of Greenwich. Proximity to Canary Wharf, the City, Greenwich now occupying the Royal Naval College, and East London Universities, attracts visiting professionals and students that add greatly to the variety and social context offered by the Club.

Partnership with London Youth Rowing enables the Club to encourage participation by Junior’s parents.

Recruitment strategy

Senior Rowers

Globe RC provides a structured rowing course for beginners in the Summer and Winter. Each course provides training for 14 rowers and teaches basic rowing techniques on land and water, to a level where participants are encouraged to take up full membership and progress to competitive or recreational rowing.

Over the winter beginners are encouraged to train using both tank and ergo sessions, progressing to water outings in the early Spring.

In this way Globe RC aims to maintain its active senior membership at around 50 rowers and gradually develop from there.

Juniors

Participation in London Youth Rowing over the past 3 years, has provided a focus and expression for the Club’s long-term aspiration to contribute to the sport of rowing and the local community by encouraging junior rowers, developing a junior squad that in time will become senior rowers.

Movement between Junior and Senior squads is sometimes interrupted by members going away to University. The Club maintains links by providing pay-as-you-row fees to cover holiday periods and maintain links with the young people. This transfer requires a stronger strategy.

Venue and facilities

The Club has the benefit of a attractive clubhouse located on the river front only yards from the Club’s boathouse and ready access to the river. Grants from Sport England enabled a total refurbishment of the Clubhouse, re-opened in September 2008. A second grant supported the installation of an extended slipway to facilitate boating to and from the River Thames.

A number of large and generous donations in 2010 has increased the boat stock and replaced older equipment. In particular it has provided both sculling boats and doubles specifically for Junior use and competitive standard 4’s and 8’s for Senior members.

A further donation has provided for racking facility for 1 x 4+ at the London Regatta Centre, increasing session time on water, particularly during the winter months.

The Club continues to hire time in Poplar’s Tank providing additional training facilities between October and March of each year.

These facilities ensure that the Club is in a position to develop competitively and to provide for recreational rowers.

Coaching

Globe RC has received the benefit of a British Rowing coach, shared with Poplar & Blackwall and Curlew rowing clubs for two years with a further year to complete in July 2011.

Other coaching is provided by a number of qualified Club members.

It has been recognised that the priority for 2011 is to provide a greater level of coaching to enable rowers to successfully compete and to ensure that top level rowers stay with Globe RC.

Funding

The financial needs of the Club must ultimately be generated from its membership, supported by a commitment to run the annual activities of the Club within its own financial capabilities. 

Investment is required to maintain the current increase in membership since 2008 at levels that will allow it to become self-sufficient.  That investment will come in part from London Youth Rowing.

The 2011 budget has included increased coaching facilities from its annual membership receipts. If necessary the Club will seek funding from other sources to assist in providing a structured coaching programme to serve and encourage competitive rowing.

In partnership with Trafalgar Rowing Centre and Curlew RC, the Club will be seeking funds to undertake necessary repairs to the two balconies overlooking the River.  The continued provision of this facility will enable the host Trafalgar Rowing Centre to increase the use of the Centre for private functions, thus indirectly supporting rowing in Greenwich.

Detailed Plan

Vision

Globe rowing club aims to make a deliberate and lasting contribution to the sport of rowing and to the lives of the people it serves. 

The business of Globe RC is carried out by an Executive Committee elected from amongst its membership, whose Honorary Officers include:

Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer

Safety Officer

Child Welfare Officer

Men’s Captain

Women’s Co-ordinator

Junior Co-ordinator

Globe recognises the special characteristic of collaboration inherent in the sport of rowing and seeks to extend collaboration amongst its members by:

• providing an inclusive context for those wishing to row competitively as well as those who wish to enjoy the sport at a recreational level. 

• seeking to sustain and encourage the development of an inclusive social community welcoming rowers, family and friends alike.

Globe recognises its limitations, and due to its location of the River Thames and the immediate environment, believes it cannot provide for adaptive rowing. The Club will however endeavour to provide advice and support of any member of the public wishing to participate in this form of rowing, to find a suitable venue to pursue their ambitions.

As a small Club it is recognised that membership involves not only a commitment to rowing, and training to maintain the requisite fitness and skill to compete, but also requires a contribution to the upkeep and maintenance of the boat stock, boat house and the fore shore. The latter is to ensure that Club facilities are kept in good repair enabling the maximum good rowing experience.

Consequently Club members will be requested to undertake 4 task per year, to be undertaken on bad tide days and ensuring no interruption to training programmes to the general upkeep of stock and facilities.

Members are also required to share in executing the business of the Club by acting as Committee responsibilities

Location

Globe RC rows from Trafalgar Rowing Centre, Crane Street, Greenwich.  The centre has modern, fully accessible male and female changing facilities and a lift to the first floor clubhouse overlooking the river. This can be hired for private functions and exhibitions and has a bar, large kitchen and a small office.

The new Boathouse is within 50 meters of the Club House at the junction of Crane Street and Eastney Street with direct access to the beach.

Above the Boathouse is a small gym fitted with 8 ergos and weights.

Water training takes place on an eight-mile stretch of the River Thames between Wapping Steps and the Thames Barrier.  The club has well developed water safety procedures for use of the River, which takes account of the large tidal range and river traffic.  Discussions have taken place with the operators of the  ” Clipper” services aimed at reducing speed and wash when rowers are out on the river.    

As the 2012 Olympics approaches, we will need to keep in touch with the PLA about an expected increase in river traffic during Games time, and to update our safety plan.

The club makes some use of facilities at the London Regatta Centre, including  rowing there (at high tides) and making use of the sculling tank.  The club hires a rowing tank at Poplar rowing club one night a week.

Membership

The Club has a total of 105 members, of whom approximately just over half are rowing or coaching.  The profile is as follows:

Juniors

Globe considers London Youth Rowing to be an ideal partner to increase junior membership.   The Project is likely to be as set out in the table below.

London Youth Rowing is an organisation whose aims are to bring rowing to young people in London who would not otherwise be given the opportunity to learn to row and compete.

It is important for London Youth Rowing continue its work with Globe RC to establish links and partnerships with Trafalgar Rowing Centre to enable Globe RC to have a sustainable junior programme that welcomes young members and their parents into the club.
It is the aim of Globe RC to increase its junior membership through the partnership we have with London Youth Rowing, Local Schools and our ‘Learn-to-Row’ courses
 

Adults

The adult membership is projected to be as follows

The combined JUNIOR and ADULT Rowing membership profile

Communication with members:

Globe RC has a website which is updated regularly to advertise the club to potential new

members and to keep everyone informed of training plans, club successes and social

events.  Email and texts are the most common form of comumunication with active

members.

Communication with Junior members is always copied to the parents. In the event of problems the Junior Co-ordinator or Child Welfare Officer will contact the persons involved personally.

Equipment 

The Club’s ambition, as stated in our 2003 – 2008 Development Plan, to refurbish the boat stock, has been largely realised as outlined above in Section: Venue and Facilities.

Total boat stock now stands at:

3 x 8+

6 x 4+

1 x 4-

2 x 4+ /               – prioritised but not exclusive to Junior use (Project Oarsome Xtra)

8 x Doubles         – of which 2 are prioritised for Junior use

10 x 1x                – 6 are prioritised for Junior use

3 Safety launches.

I x trailer

Between 2008 and 2010 the Club boat stock has been considerably modernised, and extended through generous donations. Boats purchased include:

2008 :      1 x 75k Janousek 4+;

2009:       1 x 90k Janousek 8+; 1 x Aylings 75k Double;

2010:       2 x Wintech Doubles & 6 x Wintech singles or Junior use

               ! x Wintech 75k 4+ for Novice Women.

               1 x 85k 4+ Wintech for Senior Men.

               1 x trailer.

               8 x Cleaver Blades

               Sculling Blades

               20+ aluminium trestles

The Club now needs to turn its attention to smaller equipment, such as life jackets, safety bags and maintenance of older boats. The Club’s intention is to replace life jackets as a regular rolling purchase.

This will be achieved through Club subscriptions.

The Club is committed to achieving full utilisation of the equipment for the benefit of the membership, working within the constraints tide and time.

Rowing Times

Summer:

Weekend sessions : Saturday and Sunday Mornings from 8am.

Monday and Wednesday evening. (According to the tides).

Sunday morning and Wednesday evening sessions are termed Club days, other days are specified for training.

Weekends and summer evenings generally allow a single outing of 1½ hours or two outings of 45 minutes each, depending upon tides. 

Tradition and safety encourages rowers and scullers to row out together where possible.

The increase in boat stock has meant that Junior and senior squads can row out together which is beneficial in providing competitive training and maintaining a Club spirit, which is essential for a community Club.

Club members who predominantly scull are requesting the development of a sculling squad for Thames rowers. This will be addressed at the next Coaches meeting.

Globe RC help learner rowers to progress by forming mixed ability crews on Club days providing informal coaching and practise. This is an underlying ethic of the Club and all experienced rowers are expected to participate.

Training

Training is devised to provide a structured but flexible timetable.

The British Rowing coach has provided structured training schedules, which can be followed either as squads or individually. The Club encourages training in squads to develop team cohesion and competition to spur greater achievement.

Weights should only be used following an induction session and in groups of two or three.

It was established in 2008 that all Club Rowers were required to undertake a capsize drill and swim test, to be repeated annually.

Each Beginners’ Course includes a capsize drill and swim test.

Senior rowers are requested to provide a schedule of availability at least a month in advance to facilitate training, coaching and competition.

The following schedule of training is sessions are proposed:

Club rowers:                                3 sessions per week

Competing crews:

Novice / Senior 3 Crews:  5 sessions per week

Senior 2 & above:                        7 sessions per week

A proposed Timetable is below:

Seniors:

As membership increases so too does saturation use of Club facilities.

Over the Winter it is proposed that rowers limit their ergo use to hourly sessions and sign in on arrival to allow three sessions an evening:

Juniors:               5 – 6.30pm

Seniors session 1:           6.30 – 7.30

Seniors session 2:           7.30 – 8.30

This allows rowers to undertake a warm-up, stretch and ergo without losing their seat.

A forthcoming challenge for the Club is how maturing Juniors progress to Senior rowers and how they are kept in touch with the Club if they go on to University.

The Club offers a pay-as-you-row policy particularly for Students and has found that this has some success in maintaining a relationship with younger rowers .

Coaching

In 2009 Globe agreed to pay for a British Rowing coach shared with Poplar and Curlew RC’s aimed at senior rowers. This is paid from Globe’s annual income.

The British Rowing coach has also been useful in supporting volunteer coaches.  Sharing a coach with three other clubs had proved challenging, in particular because of the different needs of the clubs.  Nevertheless it has been valuable in increasing the coaching quality and we will keep the arrangements under review.

London Youth Rowing has provided a senior coach for the Junior squad.

Other coaching is provided on a voluntary basis by a number of Club members qualified at the following levels:

3 x ARA Bronze

2 x ARA 1A

3 x RYA Powerboat cert – Level

3 x ARA Dry instructors

2 x London Ambulance Service First Aid

1 x ARA Stage 1 UKCC Level 2

Coaches and Captains meetings are organised at least twice a year to co-ordinate the Club’s overall training and competition objectives.

The Club aims to support a number of Club members undertaking instructors and powerboat awards.

The Safety Officer will arrange First Aid courses, capsize drills and navigation instruction.

Captain / Vice captain;

“The Captain will be responsible for training, coaching and representation of the Club in competitions.” – British Rowing.

These two roles are crucial to the planning and co-ordination of the Club.

Due to the level of work required by these two roles, the Globe RC agreed that their responsibilities would be divided into a Men’s Captain and Women’s Captain.

The 2010 AGM elected a men’s Captain and a Women’s Outings Co-ordinator. Other responsibilities have been undertaken by the Committee. This situation is constantly under review.

Competition

The club will continue to attend a series of headraces and regattas and maximise the use of its coaching and trailer by identifying events which offer competition for junior and seniors, both sweep and sculling.

Recruitment

Seniors:

Recruitment is undertaken in 3 ways:

Throughout the year;

Globe RC regularly attracts new members through its web site, particularly from rowers returning to rowing after a period of absence. A trial session in the tank is offered to test experience before going out on the water.

Beginners Courses:

The club aims to run two courses year, consisting of 10 week / two session per week in the Spring and Autumn. Each course takes 14 people, with the aim of establishing novice crew(s). Participants are required to be relatively fit, able to swim 100meters in light clothing, commit to the full programme and pay fees in advance.

Winter Tank-training.

Globe offers a Monday evening session for beginners using Poplar RC indoor tank. This is supplemented with water sessions and provides an opportunity for others to improve their technique.

Juniors:

Globe RC has a partnership with London Youth Rowing, who provide additional coaches to development our training and recruitment programme.

Aims

Deliver a structured programme to develop sculling and rowing skills to a safe and competent standard to enable participating juniors to enjoy and compete in the sport of rowing. Also encouraging a higher standard that junior athletes may wish to achieve.

Continue to work and support London Borough of Greenwich in providing teams for the London Youth Games for indoor and on water rowing competitions.

Provide a safe programme and promote the British Rowing ‘Good Practice in Rowing’

Coxswains

The Club recognises the need to continue to recruit and train coxswains and to develop ordinary members ability to act as coxswains and to volunteer to assist on training courses for new members.  We will address this in the next period,

Club Subscriptions

Present monthly membership fees are as follows:

Students, away at University can participate in a pay-as-you-row scheme whereby they pay £60 for the summer and other holidays.

Visitors are charge £25 per month

Tank fees are £5 per session, which includes a gym session on alternate weeks.

Transitional rowers are also required to pay £25 for a period of up to 6 weeks, prior to being allocated a crew.

Coxswains are given FREE membership.

Any member experiencing financial difficulties can request the Committee for reduced fees.

Members over the state pension age are eligible for reduced rates.

Fees were not increased for 2010 as due to the level of donations received released the Club from having to purchase boat stock from subscriptions.

Fees increased for 2011 to cover increased Clubhouse and Racking fees from Trafalgar Rowing Centre, London Regatta Centre fees and Environment Agency boat licences.

Social

Social functions have a dual purpose in providing a vehicle to build club spirit and provide additional income to cover the Club’s overheads.

Club Races are organised at least twice a year with the same purpose.