FRCC Development Plan 2006-2011

Our Aims

1. To increase local participation and attract particular target groups to competitive and recreational riversports for example the old, the young, and the marginalized
   
2. To formalise the recreational wings of the club
   
3. To develop the junior section of the club with the help of the Youth Forum, the Community Club Sports Coach and the Children’s and Young Peoples Fund
   
4. To increase NGB qualified coaches and volunteers in the club
   
5. To build a multi-sports community boat house - accessible to all

Our Club

Membership

The club has 200 members, of whom approximately 180 are active

Achieving Our Aims

1. Achieving local adult participation in riversports
   
   The basis for this will be the turn-up-and-go learn to row/canoe courses. We will:
   
   • Offer pathways to a choice of riversports on a recreational or competitive basis.
     
   • Run separate turn-up-and-go courses for target community groups who require this, e.g. Asian groups, asylum-seeker groups.
     
   • Recruit for non-group-specific courses from target groups through advertising, open days, leaflets.
     
   • Continue to build up links with local community groups through other means, e.g. each year we offer use of the Falcon meadow for picnics to community groups such as the Oxford Malayalee Club.
     
2. Formalising and developing the recreational rowing wing of the club
   
   Recreational canoeing is well established at Falcon; recreational rowing exists but within the competitive rowing structure, owing to a lack of resources. We plan to:
   
   • Purchase stable boats and oars that can be earmarked for recreational rowing.
     
   • Offer clear pathways for participants to choose between after each learn to row course: recreational or competitive rowing (with room to move between the two as interests change).
     
   • Encourage greater self-sufficiency among the recreational wing of the club to resource and recruit coaches and coxes.
     
   • Recruit a pool of coaches for recreational wing from competitive wing of club, i.e. people who would like to coach but find the time taken by their own training is a barrier to coaching.
     
   • Encourage the recreational wing to explore opportunities for touring, e.g. the ARA tour.
     
3. Building up the junior wing of the club
   

   Junior kayaking is established with coaches in place and programmes set up.

   The rowing junior programme is still in its infancy, and the Community Sports Coach (to be appointed spring 2006 by the ARA) will be key in ensuring the development of the junior rowing programme. We plan to:

   • Run spring/summer programmes with local schools: Cheney, Gregory the Great, Oxford Community, Peers, and Mary and John Primary
     
   • Recruit motivated junior coaches and parent/carer volunteers
     
   • Run a coach mentoring scheme, overseen by the Community Sports Coach.
     
4. Increasing the number of qualified coaches
   
   Currently we have a large number of qualified canoeing coaches and very few qualified rowing coaches. The time commitment involved in the ARA course has been a considerable barrier. [The new modular UKCC structure of the level 2 qualification should reduce this barrier.
   

   We aim to have at least 2 rowing and canoeing coaches achieving level 2 status each year. We will incentivise this by:

   • Pay for training in full
     
   • 90% membership fee reductions for coaches that commit to a term of coaching
     
   • A mentoring programme for new coaches
     
   • Team coaching initiatives (e.g. a pool of coaches to look after recreational rowing)
     
   • A coaches dinner
     
   • Give outstanding coaches awards in recognition of their ability and commitment
     
5. The Oxford Community Boathouse Project
   
   We boat from a rickety wooden shed which, whilst patched and repaired to the maximum, has a limited life.
   
   • We are restricted in everything we wish to undertake by the facilities, which cannot be adapted for disabled access or juniors
     
   • We are full to bursting with boats and equipment
     
   • In East Oxford there are few low cost sports facilities
     
   • We need facilities that will enable us to fulfill our role as a SE Community Club.
     
     The Oxford Community Boathouse Project has local support from among others;
     
     • Community groups who would wish to use the dry facilities
     • Oxford City Council
     • State schools in the OX4 post code area
     • Groups living with mental illness
     • Asylum seekers and their support groups
     • Young people at risk and their support groups
     • Asian community groups
     • Oxfordshire Youth services