MP visit at Active Row Awards Presentation

The second Active Row Award was presented to Brixton Wings this week at Barn Elms Boathouse, courtesy of three time Olympic Champion Andrew Triggs Hodge and MP Susan Elan Jones.

Three time Olympic Champion and Tideway Programme Manager, Andrew Triggs Hodge and MP Susan Elan Jones, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Charities and Volunteering, visited a rowing session at Barn Elms Boat Club this week to see Active Row in action.

Brixton Wings, based in Lambeth are an Active Row hub, providing indoor and on-water rowing activity through London Youth Rowing all year round (LYR). They were given the Active Row Award for Resilience; one of four key values for the programme which also includes teamwork, communication and inclusion. Tideway generously awarded each participant with a smart watch as an individual prize.

Above: Andrew awards smart watch prize to Maria

The Sport and Leisure Team at Lambeth Counsil recently provided Brixton wings with a small grant to enable them to participate in extra rowing sessions with LYR.

'I felt so proud of myself and how far I've come. At the beginning I didn't know anything about rowing...if I wasn't rowing now I'd probably be inside watch TV,' said Maria, Brixton Wings participant on receiving the group award.

Together, Sport England and Tideway support LYr in providing rowing to young people in 72 schools and youth clubs across London. Over four years the programme aims to get over 8000 young people active through rowing.

'It's great seeing your students progress from people who are nervous of boats and water, to people who want to row as much as possible in their spare time. This group are very deserving of the Resilience Award, they're a tough group who work hard during every session,' said Tinashe, LYR Community Coach.

On the anniversary of the London 2012 Olympics, there's no better way to celebrate legacy than by continuing to inspire the next generation to be active for life.

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