Boat Club secures £12,000 of funding

The University of Leicester Boat Club has been awarded £12,000 of grant money from external sources, with the University contributing a further £2000.

They had previously been forced to give up their Nottingham bay over forthcoming repair costs.

The club secured £10,000 from Sport England, £2,000 from the Rowing Foundation and a further £2000 from the University after working with the Students Union to improve the club’s equipment.

ULBC have won Varsity for the past 5 years.

The club are set to spend some of their new-found wealth on a new boat, a coxed VIII, whilst the rest of the money will be used to purchase a new four.

The ULBC’s Treasurer, Alex Wolley, applied for the grants and told The Tab: “We put a lot of effort into making sure the application put forward our specific aims and that Sports England understood exactly how much the money would help us…Thankfully, they agreed!”.

With the Universities renewed interest and assistance from the Union, ULBC are hopeful for the future.

ULBC President, Kathryn Hanna told The Tab: “With this new purchase we can finally participate at the level we are capable of and not rely on decades old equipment”.

“Thanks to Sports England, the club can finally compete on a more equal footing with local Universities such as Nottingham and Loughborough”.

The Club recently celebrated 65 years.

The Boat Club tackled the funding problem at last terms club and society AGM, questioning Union chiefs about the poor funding allocation to sports clubs.

Incidentally, this was the same meeting that saw sabbs unsure about what they were telling students and allegedly prompted someone to say the doors to the room should be locked.

The response was as expected, they are dealing with the money they have available to best of their ability. Events so far this year show the University are finally showing an interest in sport as being part of a students overall “exceptional experience”.

Student groups are assured that the Students’ Union is working to the best of its ability to provide all groups with an appropriate amount of funding. Adding that they are working with an ever-decreasing amount of money in the first place.

Funding allocation is said to be based partially on BUCS performance, being that Clubs that earn the most BUCS points will be rewarded with increased funding.

However, failing to provide large clubs, like ULBC, with funding means that they struggle to compete with other universities.

If you can’t compete, you don’t win points. If you don’t win points, you don’t get funding. If you don’t get funding, you can’t compete. Creating a vicious circle for Club’s like ULBC.

Leicester follows in the footsteps of other midlands Universities such as Nottingham and Loughborough, who have also received Sport England funding.