charity rowing challenge 2015 Row 8.5 miles on the River Thames from Westminster to Greenwich, raising money for a London charity The AHOY Centre
Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge 2015 The Totally Thames Challenge 2015 Sat 19th & Sun 20th September Take on the Thames from Westminster to Greenwich and compete for the Totally Thames Challenge Cup. When: Where: Who: Why: Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th September, 0830am 8.5 miles from Westminster to Greenwich, on the tidal Thames, past the landmarks of London Teams of six Support a local London charity working with disadvantaged young people and disabled people. Fitness and ability You need no rowing experience! The AHOY Centre s qualified rowing instructors will ensure you get all the training you need. Just bring enthusiasm and determination. The training programme All teams receive training on the River Thames from our centre at Deptford. Additionally you can have access to our indoor rowing gym. We provide all of the equipment you need and the training for your team. In return, all you have to do is pay the registration fee of 180 per team (counts towards total) sign the fundraising pledge raise/pay 1,800 per boat (between six crew members) take part in the challenge and have a great time! compete for highest fundraising team and fastest time overall prizes. We would like to thank The AHOY Centre for organising such a great event offering novice rowers the chance to travel through London in such a unique way, and to raise money for such a fantastic cause while doing so capped off the experience. It was a very rewarding experience, and also great for teambuilding. We highly recommend the Thames Challenge! Israel George, BPTW
Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge 2015 The fundraising challenge Once you ve committed to the rowing challenge, you need to get organised to raise the money. Now s the time to find the strengths in your team and work together both on and off the water. Get organised We have had some very successful fundraisers recently they all have one thing in common, they got organised and started asking! The training team from AHOY taught us to row and then encouraged us, the sponsorship was remarkably easy to raise because it is a cause that sells itself and the rowing itself was an amazing experience. Heather, WiP Warriors Set up your online donation page Set up a team online donation page using JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving. Fundraising deposit at registration When you come for your registration, your team will be asked to sign the fundraising pledge and will need to pay the registration fee of 180 per team. In addition you will commit to fundraising a minimum of 1,800 (includes registration fee). Why fundraise? The AHOY Centre relies on the money raised by our dedicated rowers to deliver its life-changing courses and programmes to young people and disabled people. Your fundraising contribution helps change the lives of people in your community. It will change yours too! Bespoke company flag You can fly a custom-made company flag on the day from the boat to give advertising to your brand. rachel@ahoy.org.uk for details. I d never rowed before, but from the start the experience was fantastic! You can t beat being on the River Thames, with Tower Bridge in front of you... being part of the AHOY through the various challenges, I ve met lots of new and interesting people and also business contacts! Lee, aged 40. Changing lives in London
The AHOY Centre, Borthwick Street, London SE8 3JY Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge 2015 We pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship of 1,800 for The AHOY Centre to take part in event. We understand that not only is the challenge to row the Challenge but also to help raise as much sponsorship as possible for the charity. We understand that in return for signing this pledge The AHOY Centre will arrange a training programme in preparation for the rowing challenge. The cost of the training, provision of the equipment and boat, entry fee and insurance will be paid for by The AHOY Centre. The Totally Thames Challenge pledge 2015 Team name Team captain 1. Full name Signature 2. Full name Signature 3. Full name Signature The monies raised by this challenge will help others so they have the opportunities not normally available to them and to ensure that The AHOY Centre is able to continue its work with changing peoples lives through rowing and sailing. We wish to help The AHOY Centre with its goal to provide support and inspiration for those who want to change lives so that they, in turn, can help others to turn their lives around. By doing this we will help make this world a little more equal. We commit to paying a registration fee of 180* for the team to take part. Before the challenge we pledge to raise/donate a minimum of 1,800*. *If your team unfortunately drops out of the Challenge after signing the pledge, we are unable to return the registration fee and sponsorship money raised. 4. Full name Signature 5. Full name Signature 6. Full name Signature Date of challenge: September 2015 Date of pledge signing: / / 2015 Office use Registration fee paid Date:.../.../... INVOICE / ONLINE PAGE URL for fundraising page:...
Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge 2015 Frequently Asked Questions What is the Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge? An 8.5 mile rowing challenge from Westminster to Greenwich, with up to 12 cutters taking part, past the landmarks of central London. How many people are in each team? The boats require six rowers, the AHOY Centre provides a trained coxswain for this event. Who can be in the team? Anyone! Groups of friends, or colleagues or companies who want to make a contribution to opportunities for young people on the River Thames. What sort of boat is a Waterman's Cutter? It is a 34-foot, fixed-seat rowing boat and the design is based on the traditional boats which were used on the Thames in the 17th century to ferry passengers. It is the biggest fleet of one design rowing boats on the Thames. There are six people on the oars at any time, one cox (steering the boat) and it can carry a spare rower or passenger. How fit do I have to be? The AHOY Centre s training programme, will give you the rowing skills you need as well as improve your fitness. Otherwise basic fitness and determination is all you need! Typically the challenge will take between one hour and 1.5 hours. What about disabled people? If you have upper body movement you will be able to take part. The AHOY has adaptive seats and equipment that will allow most people to participate in rowing. What equipment do we need? All the specialist equipment you need is provided by AHOY. You will need to provide: l 2 pairs of trainers (one pair will get wet) l track suit (or similar) l shorts l T shirt l water bottle Optional: l gloves l wash kit & towel For your own personal comfort you may decide you require padding for the seat.. When is the Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge The date for 2015 is over the weekend of 19th and 20th September start time is 830am. There will be up to 12 boats competing for the overall prizes on each day. You will be enjoying the reception at the AHOY Centre by 11.30am on your challenge day! What if the weather is bad? We can get out on the river for training in most conditions, but if a training session has to be cancelled because of the weather we will do our best to reschedule it as soon as possible. Can we use the Challenge to get publicity for our company? There are opportunities for PR coverage for companies involved in the Challenge. The AHOY Centre will be glad to assist with this. Who takes care of the practical arrangements? The AHOY will provide boats and equipment during the training so all you need to do is come to the Centre for your induction and training sessions. On the day of the row The AHOY Centre will organise everything from moving the boats to the starting point, and organising a welcoming reception and prize-giving back at the AHOY Centre. Where is the AHOY Centre? The AHOY is based on the River Thames at Deptford (SE8 3JY). Deptford station is one stop from London Bridge (+ 8 minute walk) - Cutty Sark DLR (+ 11 minute walk) - River Bus to Greenwich Pier (+ 12 minute walk). What next? The next step is for you to confirm that your team/you wish to take part by emailing: rowing@ahoy.org.uk or calling 020 8691 7502 x 105. How do I register my team? l Fill in the pledge form in this pack with full names, email addresses and mobile numbers of your team l or send it to rowing@ahoy.org.uk l set up a fundraising page using VirginMoneyGiving or JustGiving l pay your registration fee of 180 for the team (counts towards the overall fundraising total) l send us the link to the page. Can we use the AHOY rowing gym? Induction to the gym is on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. /continued overleaf Changing lives in London
FAQs continued Totally Thames Oarsome Challenge 2015 Water training sessions On Sundays you can come for your training from: l 9.30am to 4:30pm You can take your training session on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings after the clocks change. What does the training programme comprise? You will get a three hour training session on the water. You can book a gym induction and use our rowing gym to train as well. Additional water training sessions can be booked and paid for by the team. What's the Team Captain s role? The role of Team Captain is to be the main point of contact between your Crew and AHOY's Fundraising and Challenges Team. The AHOY provides the coxswain for the team so you just need to appoint a Team Captain. How long will the row take us? Depending on your team s power output you can expect to row for around 1 to 1.5 hours. What happens at the end of the race? We provide a reception and prize-giving at the end of the Challenge at The AHOY Centre in Deptford. You are welcome to invite supporters and friends to the finish. Prizes will be awarded for the highest fundraising team and the team with the fastest time over the course. Fundraising? You no doubt have lots of ideas for fund raising and The AHOY Centre has a list of various fundraising events and ideas that have worked well for other teams. AHOY will assist you in setting up a donation page on Virgin Money Giving or JustGiving. All ideas are welcome and we will try and help you with advice and assistance where needed. When does the fundraising have to be completed? We ask that the 1,800 minimum be raised two weeks before your challenge. As some of your sponsors will donate after the event, the total amount will include any pledges that you have. What happens to the money we raise? The AHOY Centre relies on money raised by great people like you to change the lives of disadvantaged young people or people with disabilities through the medium of sailing and rowing. All the money raised goes directly into running programmes and courses and keeping the charity going and has a direct impact on the lives of people who benefit from The AHOY Centre s work. For example: l For us to train one young disabled person for an RYA (Royal Yachting Association) qualification is 1,000 l A Sailability Taster Day (for disabled people) is 80 per person l Waterproof jackets for disabled people cost 140 each l A set of sails cost 1100, all our sails now need replacing. Boat covers cost 350 which also need replacing l To train a disadvantaged or at-risk youth to become an RYA Assistant Instructor is 2,400 l To run our Shipmates Programme aimed at local young people aged 8-18 which develops life skills such as planning, team work and leadership through sailing and rowing costs 95,000 per year. We encourage our Rowing Challengers to meet the people who will benefit from your rowing and fundraising efforts when you are training at The AHOY Centre. What happens if we don t make the fundraising target? Unfortunately we can t let the team take part in their challenge unless they have raised the money pledged. However, with a good fundraising plan this has not proved a problem for teams in the past. Do we have to bring refreshments for the challenge? Please bring whatever you feel you need, most rowers will want energy snacks and filled water bottles. What happens after it s all over? We like to maintain strong links with all our rowers and invite you to our events and volunteering opportunities. We would also like to keep you up to date with the charity s news and other events,so will ask you if you wish to be signed up for our mailing list. Can I become further involved with the charity? Yes please! We have many areas within the AHOY where we need help with fundraising, marketing, helping with activities through to rowing and sailing instructors. If you are interested let us know, so we can discuss in more detail. Can I carry on rowing after the challenge? Yes! We actively encourage our rowers to continue rowing with the AHOY and have a programme of events advertised on our website. Once you ve done the Property Challenge who knows, maybe the next challenge is the Channel? www.ahoy.org.uk/row-for-us/ The AHOY Centre Borthwick Street, London SE8 3JY 020 8691 7502 rowing@ahoy.org.uk www.ahoy.org.uk Charity no 1084122 Changing lives in London