LYR News

The first Active Row Finals brought huge excitement to the Tideway offices overlooking the River Thames and London Bridge on Friday 25 January. The culmination of a series of four competitions in November and December was 8 teams (boys and girls) battling for the honour of becoming Active Row Champions.

The qualifying teams competed in the finals hosted by partner Tideway at The Cottons Centre, London Bridge with special guests from Sport England and Tideway in attendance. Active Row aims to help 8,000 young people get active over 4 years across the city through indoor rowing clubs at 70 Secondary Schools, access to rowing in the summer and much more.  

Boys Teams - Mossbourne Community Academy, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial school, Stepney Green Maths, Computing & Science College, St Matthew Academy

Girls Teams - Townley Grammar School, Mossbourne Community Academy, Ricard’s Lodge High School, Clapton Girls’ Academy

After a close fought series of individual races and team relays, cheered on by enthusiastic team mates and staff, presentations were made to individual medallists, relay teams and the overall winners boys’ and girls’.

“It was fantastic for the girls to race in such a great venue and with such an exciting atmosphere. The competition has given our rowers some great racing experience before NJIRC.” Rose Linden, Clapton Girls’ Academy

“The Active Row Finals were thrilling, hard fought and excellently run. It was great (but also nerve wrecking) to see students pushing themselves, to be the best of the best, but also showing great camaraderie.” Luke Simmons-Hedges, St Matthew Academy

The Boys’ competition came down to the narrowest of margins, with the trophy going to Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney just ahead of Stepney Green Maths, Computing & Science College, Tower Hamlets. The winning team are pictured below with Andrew Triggs-Hodge (left) and Andy Mitchell, CEO at Tideway (right).

The Girls’ trophy was won by Townley Grammar School, winners of both the Year 7 & 8 and Year 9 & 10 Relays, ahead of Mossbourne Community Academy, the only School to qualify with two teams at the Finals. The winning team are pictured below with Andrew Triggs-Hodge (left) and Jill Rothwell, Sport England (right).

Photographs by John Trigg

Andrew Liney, Senior Manager Children and Young People at Sport England said:

“It was great to see so many young people having fun being active, rowing their hearts out and creating a fantastic atmosphere at the Active Row Finals. Through the National Lottery Funded Active Row programme, London Youth Rowing, working in partnership with Tideway have created opportunities for young people across London to try something new and progress in rowing. We know that if young people enjoy a positive experience of sport they are more likely to remain active and healthy as adults”.

John Sage, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Tideway added:

"Tideway was delighted to host the Active Row final at our London Bridge offices - we transformed our 'Agile Area' for the day and it proved to be truly agile, as were the young athletes who competed on the day! It was wonderful to see so many talented and committed young rowers and it was inspiring to see them demonstrate real teamwork and resilience, two of the key values of the Active Row programme."

Special guests in attendance were Andy Mitchell, CEO at Tideway, Andrew Triggs-Hodge, three times Olympic Champion, Tideway, Andrew Liney, Senior Manager Children & Young People at Sport England, Cassell Bailey, Head of Children & Young People at Sport England and Jill Rothwell, Project Manager Children and Young People at Sport England.

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