While the rowing world is fixated on the build up to HRR with frenzy of excitement around the list of entries and the tight racing at HWR and Marlow Regatta there is another regatta which may well be just as important for the future of rowing: The All Aboard Youth Rowing Regatta.
As a sport, we ought to continue to look outwards at the big picture of widening rowing’s reach, rather than focusing down on established events and regattas.
What is All Aboard Youth Rowing?
All Aboard Youth Rowing (AAYR) is a charity striving to offer rowing to youth in areas where it is generally not available and use rowing as a tool to change children’s lives with 96% saying involved saying that it improved their confidence and resilience as well as making them happier. Their mission is simple: to challenge the stereotype that rowing is an elitist sport by welcoming young people from diverse backgrounds to experience its many benefits.
They work across six locations from Greater Manchester to Liverpool, hosting 39 two-hour sessions per week in school hours as a break from the mundane school day and a chance to try a new sport.
All that to say, AAYR’s most important role is acting as an early intervention tool for at-risk children by giving them a chance to focus on something outside of home and school. As described by CEO, Richard Sinnot, the “ultimate aim is to improve the lives of kids through sport” which so far has been hugely successful with over 1200 children introduced to rowing already.
At first, the Regatta was started purely as an end goal to the 35-week program as a culmination of all the work done throughout the academic year. Year on year, it has expanded to incorporate competition between all 45 schools involved with the charity.
Another goal of the charity is to remove the elitism from the image of rowing, an issue that plagues rowing’s reputation with the public. AAYR does this by offering rowing to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas where rowing is much rarer. Richard explained that a major issue encountered was that the methods were “not traditional” and therefore they had to carve out their own path, being unable to follow the ideas of others . Not only is rowing positive for mental health, it is also popular with 30 participants yearly going on to join clubs diversifying the talent pool in junior rowing. Most of the support for AAYR comes from the Henley Royal Regatta Trust, which aims to support young people learning to row.
With an established base already, AAYR now looks to consolidate their current resources and build a sound base before expanding to offer rowing to more and more students who have never stepped in a boat before.
AAYR Regatta
In a time where regattas are more covered in glitz and glamour than ever before with shell companies plying their trade and numerous sponsors the AAYR regatta is rowing at its purest. All participants compete in only 8 committee boats provided by the charity with a regimented schedule to manage racing while rowers are all cladded in lifejacket: a far cry from the embroidered crew specific kit seen at Henley. Each crew gets 2 chances to race side by side with the fastest times being placed into league table to determine the overall winners with 65 crews racing, all hosted on a school day by a team of hard-working volunteers. This method was specially developed to suit AAYR after a scheduling disaster in the first year which would have gone onto, in Richard’s words, “just before Christmas”, pushing them to shift tactics with committee boats.
Whether racing at Henley or Warrington, the thrill of victory is all the same, and the grassroots element of AAYR is key to providing the next generation of rowers who will go onto to compete at Henley and coming from a wider range of backgrounds will help to diversify the sport.
Importance of AAYR
Rowing has historically existed in a vacuum, for those who can afford to spend thousands on equipment, facilities, and coaches. In the UK, this remains centred towards the southern regions, creating a narrow pool of competitors at the highest national levels. AAYR works in a different world compared to the wealth of private schools, with most participants hailing from underserved communities across the North West. As such, initiatives like AAYR – as well as the Infinity Boat Club in the North East that JRN previously reported on – are helping to redress the balance when it comes to the accessibility of rowing nationwide. Hats off to Richard, who provided all of the information for this article, and the rest of the team who tirelessly give up their free time to make a difference.
