Everyone’s River

A Proposal by Falcon Rowing and Canoe Club Toward making the river in Oxford an inclusive and accessible recreational and sporting resource, urging active lives on the children of the city and all members of Oxford’s diverse community.

A boathouse for the whole community

1.   Background

Location

• Donnington Bridge Road, East Oxford
  
• Within the Oxford Deprivation Arc

  

History

• We have been a rowing and sculling club since 1869
  
• We set up a trust to further the interests of young people in rowing and kayaking in 1997
  
• Three years ago, we started sessions with children in Oxford with Asylum Welcome and with young people living with mental illness. 
  
• We now run summer schools with four local secondary schools and one local primary school. Many other local groups use the Falcon site.  

Legal Structure

• The Falcon Trust is a charitable educational trust
  
• The Falcon Rowing and Canoe Club is open to all without restriction
  
• Oxford City Council owns the Falcon site

Falcon: An inclusive open club

• First rowing and canoeing club in Oxfordshire for disabled persons
  
• First rowing club in Britain with female members
  
• First riversport club to offer positive outreach to an Asian community
  
• First canoe group to work with people living with mental illness
  
• First canoe club to work with children from Asylum Welcome
  
• First local club to have unwaged membership (50% reductions)
  
• First and only local water sport club to have no-barrier fees for kids

Conformity to local government objectives

• This proposal conforms to government and local government initiatives
• This proposal meets Sport England’s regional objectives
• Oxford City Council sees the river as a part of their leisure development strategy
• This bid conforms to the Environment Agencies published goals

2. Current Position

Falcon currently provides

• Daytime programmes for schools
• Holiday projects for young people
• Sessions and courses for organised groups of young people
• Evening and weekend activities
• Courses for adult target groups including an over 50 initiative

Falcon is recognized locally

• We are grant aided by Oxfordshire Community Foundation Children and Young Peoples Fund, Oxford City Council and many local charitable funders.
• We are a sports provider to young and disadvantaged people used by local schools and youth groups.
• We are part of the Active Sports Programme with a funded rowing coach for state schools starting in 2006.
• The Environment Agency cites Falcon as a model of social inclusion

Limitations hinder inclusion

• Our boat storage spaces are too cramped to have a complete schools programme
• Our showers are well below acceptable standards
• With no indoor space, we cannot warm up children after an outing therefore cutting the time we can work with them
• There is no provision for disabled users

Potential

• The activities we presently offer are oversubscribed
• The schools we work with have asked to increase their activity
• More schools are waiting to be included

Proposed facilities

User benefits

Falcon would guarantee these outcomes