NEW ROWING CLUB HAS BIG AMBITION

RALPHH has made a gift of a defibrillator to one of the youngest rowing clubs in the country.

Hornets Rowing Club is located within a marina in the village of Earith, Cambridgeshire and has grown rapidly from its formation in August 2024. It came about by other rowing clubs in the local area having little or no scope for new members and so this part of the River Ouse was identified as the best location for the new club.

“There are so many people who want to row around here that I am confident that we will reach 100 members by the end of 2026,” said Trustee and Director Chris Newland (pictured), who is also acting as Head Coach, Captain and Boatman in the short term. Certainly, his funding has helped provide an impressive array of boats of all sizes. There are four x eights; 18 x fours, 18 x doubles and a further 18 singles.

Currently a barge on land acts as the clubhouse and it is here that the defibrillator will be externally mounted in a purpose-built electrical heated box that will allow potential access to rowers and other users of the marina.

Chris anticipates the Club running three learn-to-row courses in the first part of 2026 and participants will include many young people who have previously not had the opportunity to sample the sport. There are also early stages plans to establish a larger clubhouse facility nearby. 

Rowing is possible for 3500 metres between locks on the river, but there is also a much longer stretch past a site of special scientific interest, which attracts the attention of numerous walkers.  

The introduction of Hornets Rowing Club to RALPHH came about through Huntingdon Rowing Club, where in May 2024 RALPHH made the same donation of a working defibrillator.