The Royal Row

Aim

4 person crews. 14 boats. 24 miles. 1 Day. A sponsored challenge to row the Royal Military Canal from Rye to Hythe for community sport.

Who are we?

We're a friendly community club and registered charity, offering a warm welcome to anyone who wants to play, watch and talk about sport.  Our values are 'welcoming, sporting and inclusive' and our brilliant people (currently age 7 to 91) make the club who we are.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to sponsor a Royal Row Crew, then join us at the club on 18th July 2026 to track their progress in real time, and welcome the teams home.  Back a Boat and get involved!

For The Royal Row we’ve teamed up with a great local company, AW Construction. The rowers are all football, cricket, squash/racketball players and AW Construction staff.   Many haven't been in a boat for years. 24 miles in a wooden rowing boat in one day is a long way.   They all want to cross the finish line to a hero's welcome at the club, they all want to top the sponsorship leaderboard and, lets be honest, they all want to win.  

We expect blisters, tears, drama, questionable rowing techniques, endless demands for snacks and at least one team claiming they took a wrong turn. Back a Boat, get behind the crew, and let's get them across that finish line and raise a shed load of cash for the club!

Why are we crowdfunding?

We've been around a long time (since 1856), and we've been quite good at team sports.  Alongside our competitive league teams, in 2026 we're doing things a bit differently, offering a wider range of ways to play sport, make friends, and feel part of the club.  We'd like to do more of this for more people more regularly - walking sports, drop-in, social and basic skills sessions...  We want anyone of any age or ability to have-a-go/play/succeed at football, cricket, squash and/or racketball in a way that they want to.

Our building has also been around a long time, and it’s designed for traditional team sports,  not the multitude of uses we have now. We’re doing our best with limited funds, we put in alot of volunteer time and effort, but some things still need attention to make it a welcoming and comfortable space for everyone.

How we’ll spend the money raised

So... we are Rowing the Royal to raise funds to run more sport for more people. And... to make our clubhouse an inclusive building, more comfortable for everyone. We want to make the best of what we have in the most cost effective way possible.

Community impact 

Alongside our own sports and activities, we have brilliant community partner organisations at our club, offering pilates, yoga and seated yoga, beginners2runners, a dementia choir, painting and petanque. We've got a small sporting literacy project, love working with Age UK Hythe, Lyminge and Ashford, and partner with Kent & Medway NHS Talking Therapies to promote mental health support.  Working with The Sports Trust to host Folkestone & Hythe School Games for primary school children brings us all joy, while students from Brockhill Park School are awesome Sports Leaders at the Games.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Back a Boat!  Support a friend, colleague, family member (or just pick a boat with the best name...). Our teams are in competition to row that canal and to raise funds, and they need you to reward them with your support!  Scroll down to find your team under 'Rewards'. Can you back a winner?

2. Make a donation. Not sure who to sponsor?  Got divided loyalties between crews? Make a donation and leave a message of support. Don’t delay - your support could get our crews through their training sessions, and carry them over the line on the day!

2. Spread the word. Share on your social media pages and tell the world about The Royal Row! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Pledge your business support.  Could your business donate things we can offer to our teams and supporters?  We will give you a big shout out on Royal Row day!

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 31st July 2026 at 11:59pm