Sport England - Movement Fund has provided £8,852 of match funding
Hornets Rowing Club Landing Stage Refurb
Huntingdon, , United Kingdom
Boost your impact
Your donation unlocks match funding
Aim: The current landing stage is not fit for purpose and doesn't support the growing numbers of rowers, we need to refurbish and extend.
Who are we?
Hornets Rowing Club Ltd was officially founded on the River Great Ouse, at Westview Marina in August 2024 by a few enthusiastic rowers and semi professionals.
Westview Marina wasn’t new to the sport. It had once hosted rowing camps and training courses; Westview Marina had the potential for Hornets to make their new home and launch a community rowing club. But what makes Westview Marina at Earith truly special is the water itself. Upstream, 2.5 km of rowable river stretched out—1.65 km visible right from the landing stage. Downstream, the river winds its way toward King’s Lynn, offering 9 km of uninterrupted water, perfect for long, smooth strokes and hard-fought training sessions.
We have secured affiliation with British Rowing Association, and joined both the Eastern Regional Rowing Council and the Cambridge Rowing Association—a significant milestone in legitimizing the club's vision and commitment to the sport.
Backing our ambitions is an enthusiastic Sponsor. He has provided the club with a fleet of boats—ranging from eights to single sculls—as well as two launches: one for coaching and one for safety. Every boat, whether newly purchased or gifted from other clubs, has been refurbished at the sponsor’s personal expense.
Despite the rich tradition of rowing in the area, the local community has long been underserved. Waiting lists at existing clubs were growing, catchment areas were narrowing, and the need for new opportunities was becoming apparent —particularly in light of surges in interest during events like the 2024 Paris Olympics and the annual Cambridge vs Oxford Boat Race.
Earith finds itself uniquely positioned to serve this growing demand. With developments like Northstowe set to bring in a population of over 24,000, We will be the closest rowing club to this booming new community. Conversations have began with other local clubs, who express great excitement at the opportunity to redirect some of their long waiting lists to our new club.
Our vision isn’t limited to competitive or recreational rowing. One of the club’s trustees has strong ties to East Anglian Youth Rowing (EAYR), a charitable organization aiming to bring the sport to underprivileged youth.
When the club launched on 1st August 2024, no one could have predicted the overwhelming response. A targeted social media campaign sparked local curiosity and enthusiasm. Within just one month, over 400 enquiries had poured in from the public.
And so… The Hornets have landed. With strong foundations, a clear mission, and a powerful sense of purpose, the club isn't just about rowing—it’s about community, opportunity, and the spirit of the river.
Why are we crowdfunding?
To make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience at the club, we need to upgrade our landing stage. This will:
- Improve access to the river for rowers of all skill levels.
- Provide safer and more efficient ways to handle boats.
- Enable more people to get out on the water, increasing the number of sessions we can run.
- Help us attract more junior rowers, while giving them the proper supervision and care they need.
The current landing stage is too small and getting old, and doesn't support the growing numbers of rowers, especially as we are expanding our learn to row and training programs. We know that children in our local community do not have easy access to rowing and so our ultimate goal is to grow our junior programme so that more children locally can experience all that rowing has to offer.
We received a Sports England award of 50% of the costs to complete this project, we now need to raise the balance to secure the Sports England funding and achieve our mission.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We have an opportunity to procure an extension to our current landing stage and complete a refurbishment project to improve the access to the river, which will:
- Creating safe access to the river for everyone, from beginners to seasoned rowers.
- Supporting a welcoming environment for juniors, those returning to the sport, and newcomers of all backgrounds.
- Improving the quality of the rowing experience for current and future members and
- Ensure its sustainability
As a new start up club, our finances are limited. We intentionally keep our membership prices low so that the club is accessible to everyone regardless of their means to pay and so every donation, no matter how big or small, brings us closer to our goal.
Community impact
By helping us improve our facilities, you’ll not only be supporting the growth of the sport but also contributing to a healthier, more active community. Rowing offers participants the chance to:
- Connect with others in a fun, supportive environment.
- Learn valuable life skills like teamwork, discipline, and perseverance.
- Boost physical and mental health through regular activity.
- Find a sense of belonging and community—whether you're 10 or 70!
We thank you so much for your generous support it really makes a massive difference to our club and you are directly helping someone get out on the water with us!
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters.
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th August 2025 at 12:31pm