Who Are We?
Gravesend Rowing Club is the oldest continually active sports club in Gravesend, Kent, getting people into rowing on the lower River Thames since 1878. Today, our small, friendly Club is run entirely by volunteers who are passionate not just about rowing, but about connecting community and river heritage. Our ethos is all about making rowing accessible to as many people as possible; keeping our costs low and our facilities open to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Our clubhouse and boatshed is also home to satellite rowing clubs in local state schools, and the location of London Youth Rowing’s Kent programme, helping get more local children interested in rowing both competitively, for fitness, and for fun.
Our aim is to further expand access to rowing at Gravesend, not only so people can try a sport that is often seen as elitist, but also so more adults and juniors in the area can get fit while meeting friends, having fun, and connecting with hundreds of years of history between the town and the river.
A recent Learn to Row course, introducing local juniors to rowing
Why Are We Crowdfunding?
We are passionate about enabling as many people as possible to row on the river, as part of a rowing tradition that goes back over 300 years at Gravesend. To do this, we need to expand our fleet of boats so more people can row at each of our sessions and be as safe as possible while doing so. Our plan for 2025 is to run a number of learn to row courses that are open to the wider community, alongside bespoke sessions for local schools. Through our outreach with local schools, businesses and religious groups over the past few years we know there is plenty of demand, but we have reached the limits of our current capacity. We are crowdfunding in the hope that the support of the local (and not so local) community can help us get more people into rowing, to get fit and have fun on our river.
We are crowdfunding to purchase a new coxless quad, which will help us get more people on the water, upskill our existing membership, and enable us to replace boats that do not meet the most modern safety standards.
We row on the tidal Thames at a point where it is half a mile wide, on a stretch at mercy to weather conditions and home to industrial and recreational river traffic. This means safety is key. However, due the age of our fleet a number of our boats lack modern safety features such as internal buoyancy compartments. This is something we are keen to address.
How will we spend the funds?
We will spend the funds on a new coxless quad, at a cost of approximately £18,000. We have already raised some of this money from selling old equipment, but are now seeking to raise the additional £15,000 required.
Who will benefit?
Gravesend currently has around 50 members, aged 13 to 70+. We also work with two local state schools and host London Youth Rowing at our clubhouse. But rowing with Gravesend is not just about fitness or competition, it’s also a centre where juniors and adults can come to make friends, take advantage of our healthy social calendar, and stay active through all stages of life.
GRC J15 and J16 juniors
GRC adult development squad enjoying a summer outing