The Boat Race funding enabled Firhill Youth Project and Community Sports Hub to double their rowing and engagement provision for young people aged 10+
Participants come from the city’s most disadvantaged communities. A high proportion of the young people who attend are classified as ‘looked after’. This mens that they live with grandparents, foster carers or are in ‘temporary accommodation’. Rowing together, or taking part in an activity or erg challenge can be the only occasion during the week when young participants socialise with children outside school. The project uses rowing as a catalyst for connecting and empowering young people, rather than an end in itself.
The whole project is housed in one section of a decommissioned 20-foot shipping container.
This Community Sports Hub has worked very closely with the community in North Glasgow, to provide sports opportunities that best suits the needs of the area. The facility is based at the Firhill Basin, beside the Partick Thistle Football Club Stadium.
Their approach, which is based on a Positive Youth Development Framework, is geared towards the provision of positive sport experiences. These experiences are integral for promoting and sustaining youths’ participation in sport and physical activity. With this approach, the Firhill team contribute towards better physical and mental health, increased self-confidence, connectedness, and positive skill development.
With support from volunteers and college students, there is always a warm welcome to young people from North Glasgow. Since 2019, the hub has provided over 120 11–18-year-olds, with the opportunity to row, who otherwise may not have had the chance to participate. The Boat Race Fund was delighted to support the expansion of this project. We are proud to have played our part in enabling more young people to experience the benefits of taking part in sport.