The recently formed Plymouth Rowing Forum (PRF) has taken its first steps in the development of a programme of water-based 'Learn to Row' sessions by delivering pilot taster sessions for children from three local schools.

The PRF is a unique partnership of schools and clubs who, with support from the ARA, CPGA and Active England, have joined forces to provide rowing opportunities for young people in Plymouth. Following the recent appointment of Kevin Sellars as Community Sports Coach, indoor rowing clubs are now established in all secondary schools in the Plymstock School Sports Partnership, with activity also established at a number of primary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

The next stage of the project centres around providing opportunities for young people to try rowing on the water through links with clubs in the city and surrounding area. The partnership of clubs incorporates a number of different disciplines of rowing including fixed and sliding seat, river and coastal.

In order to pool equipment, coaching and volunteer resources the clubs will be working together to deliver taster sessions and 'Learn to Row' courses. These will provide the participants with the opportunity to try out all the different types of rowing available in the city. All the clubs involved are also working together to achieve Sport England 'Clubmark' status, which will ultimately provide a selection of high quality accredited clubs for those participants who wish to continue rowing.

Three pilot sessions have now been run by the PRF, with pupils from Plymstock and Ridgeway Schools and Longcause Special School all taking part in sessions run jointly by coaches from Cattewater and Caradon Pilot Gig clubs, Plymouth ARC and Mayflower Offshore RC. The sessions all started at the Mount Batten Watersports Centre where pupils had the opportunity to row in Cornish Pilot Gigs and offshore coastal boats, followed by a short trip upriver to Plymouth Amateur Rowing club. The pupils were then given the chance to try out sliding seat Olympic class boats.

Following on from these successful taster sessions the PRF hopes to deliver the first formal 'Learn to Row' course in the first half of the Autumn term