About Us

Chairman's Report 2008

Taken from the report of Di Ellis, ARA Chairman, to the Association's Annual General Meeting held on Saturday 27th September:

'It is a huge privilege to be able to present to you this Annual Review for what has been such an outstanding year both at home and abroad.

Our Olympic and Paralympic teams gave breathtaking performances in Beijing placing Great Britain first in the medal table at both events. Our rowers won 23 out of the 70 medals brought home by Team GB and the Paralympic rowers won medals in three of the four events with Helene Raynsford winning the first ever Paralympic medal for rowing. Our athletes excelled in their performances and it is encouraging to know we have a sound base for 2012.

Having stayed with the team at the Olympics, I know the huge amount of support that went into their success and here I would pay tribute to David Tanner, the coaches, medics, equipment and office teams. There were also the supporters, 250 GB FISA family, and an equal number in the general stands, a huge commitment which was greatly appreciated. The British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association did a tremendous job to ensure the rowers, as part of Team GB, lacked for nothing.

While the Olympics and Paralympics took centre stage it should not be forgotten that our other teams competing at European and World events were also extremely successful.
Here my thanks go to all our sponsors, and this includes the government agencies without whose support we would not be able to run many of our national and international programmes and to the ARA finance team for ensuring we are prudent in our spending.

Nationally a huge amount has been achieved. We have seen a new look magazine, the website has changed and is giving the most up to date information, besides providing access to a number of interactive sections. The Sport England Strategy for 2009-2013 has been a marathon and my thanks go to Rosemary Napp and her team for the extensive job they have done in putting it together and to those in the sport who have provided input and feedback. An important part of this document is club facilities and the continuation of what has been done through the Community Club Development Programme which has supported 20 club building projects and nine tenures. In addition there are 40 Project Oarsome Xtra clubs and 9 recreational centres that have received equipment to the value of £600,000 grant, matched with £150,000, making a total of £750,000.

A huge amount of work has been progressed through the volunteers, including the Executive Officers, the committees, commissions and their sub-groups resulting in a competition review, Multi-Lane review, Row Safe: A Guide to Good Practice in Rowing, a Memorandum of Understanding with the English Federation of Disability Sport for the promotion of disabled people in the sport, achieving the Preliminary Level Equality Standard, and Child Protection Intermediate Level. Work continues on all of these and many other projects including a new Anti-Doping Policy.

Di Ellis CBE
ARA Chairman