Burnham-On-Sea’s Gig Rowing Club has received lottery funding of £7,100 to enable it to launch a new youth development project.
The club has received the Big Lottery funding this week. It took part in a ‘Dragons Den’ style event at Burnham’s Princess Hall in January, as reported here, and while the club was unsuccessful on the night, it has now received the good news that it will receive the money after all.
Delighted club spokesman Dave Wrennall told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We mean to offer affordable open access to healthy outdoor physical activity in a challenging but structured and safe environment, where people can have fun while learning to work together as a team.”
“The Big lottery Award letter explains the award is a mark of quality of the work we are doing in the community and they will keep in touch during the life of the project.”
“Nationally, rowing attracts a lot of women to the sport and they represent more than half the sport’s regular rowers.”
“Our Gig club would wish to reflect the national trend so we are keen to offer taster rowing sessions, and we already have male crew, mixed crews and an all girl crew too.”
“It is an exciting and exhilarating sport that provides an all systems body workout when we pit our strength and coordination against the sea whilst exercising a healthy respect for her too!”
The club has recently re-painted and re-named uts wooden racing gig, calling it ‘Brue’ to give it a clear local connection to the river. A formal naming and launching ceremony is to be held soon.
The club also recently joined five other gigs and completed its second ‘long Row’, from Bristol Harbour Marina (pictured below) to Clevedon Pier, a distance of 15 miles, with unrivalled views along the Avon Gorge and the North Somerset Coast.
