Lower Thames Rowing Club had a great time hosting their first Open Day back in April which kicked off the Active Southend-on-Thames programme with a big splash. 24 people turned up raring to go and get out onto the water, many rowing for the very first time. The fantastic volunteers from Lower Thames Rowing Club were present on the day to give them some pointers and take them out rowing from Two Tree Island.

The learner rowers enjoyed getting used to the boat and working together to navigate the water.

Glen, one of the participants said:

“Thanks for today; it was great fun and I am looking forward to learning how to row properly”.

Another learner said:

“Thank you so much for having me! It was a lovely experience, and everyone was so welcoming. I look forward to the learn-to-row course and eventually becoming more useful to the other rowers in my boat (rather than just splashing them).”

Anne, who organised the day at Lower Thames Rowing Club, said:

“Thank you to the amazing 15 volunteers who made our open day a huge success! We took out 24 people!”

The club was also donated a defibrillator so that it can respond to cardiac arrests during its activities if the need arises.

Active Southend-on-Thames is a partnership between various organisations that aims to bring water-based activities to more people through subsidised activity sessions, dedicated training, and more. You can find out more about the programme here.

We look forward to seeing more people get out on the water for the first time throughout the Summer. Keep an eye on our channels at SAVS for more details about the full Summer programme.