The cost of living crisis is affecting everyone up and down the country, including the student rowers of UBBC.
Like many other rowing clubs UBBC is finding the costs of running the club increasing - these include fuel to get to training and races, race fees, spare parts and equipment, boat repairs, vehicle repairs, and kit. Rowing and living in Bristol has never been cheap, but students' budgets are now being squeezed more than ever!
Thanks to the generous support of 150+ regular donors we've been able to support several students from lower income backgrounds train and race with UBBC this season by providing them with individual grants. These grants have helped them cover the costs of membership, attendance at national rowing events, and kit. In addition to this we've been raising funds destined for the purchase of new boats and equipment for the club to help them keep their membership costs as low as possible.
This support has been provided through The Nonesuch Rowing Foundation; an independent charity founded by alumni of UBBC. We are currently the only charity in the UK which provides support of this kind to university student rowers.
If you would like to find out more, or would like to support the work of the Nonesuch Rowing Foundation with a regular donation, please follow this link. Regular donors on a 'Graduate' plan or higher will receive a Nonesuch flower pin badge as a thank you gift.
Nonesuch 2022 London Dinner
On 21st October we welcomed several generations of UBBC Alumni to a fantastic 2022 Nonesuch London Dinner.
The dinner was held in the Record Room of Caravan Fitzrovia, a space originally used by BBC Radio 1 as a recording studio for the Live Lounge. The room still had a record player which was put to good use later in the evening, with hits ranging from Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana.
This was our fourth London dinner and we look forward to welcoming more London-based alumni to more dinners in years to come. Thanks to everyone who made it a brilliant evening!
Great Britain Glory for UBBC's Robbie Prosser
UBBC’s Robbie Prosser won gold in the U23 World Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy. Robbie (second from left) and his crew set a record-breaking time of 6.02.90 in the Coxed Four, a shade under the previous record of 6:03.01.
“For the past four years it’s been a dream of mine to row in the under 23 GB team,” said Robbie, “When I came to Bristol Uni I was asked what I wanted to achieve in the next three years – I said I wanted to row in the top Bristol boat, but I also felt I could represent Great Britain in the World Championships. I never thought it would actually happen. Now it has, it really is like a dream come true.”
Ed Bloomfield, Head Coach at UBBC, said: “Robbie's professionalism and determination is what sets him apart from other, he is one of the best athletes we’ve worked with and a talent to watch for the future.”
“Credit must also go to Will Ruscombe-King, Head of strength and conditioning at Bristol, and other staff at Bristol for the amazing support they have given Robbie over the past three years”.
Henley Royal Regatta 2022 UBBC Alumni & Friends Drinks
On the Saturday of Henley Royal Regatta, over 130 UBBC alumni and friends gathered together for our annual alumni drinks event. Spanning over six decades of UBBC members, it was the largest and most extended gathering of Bristol rowers at Henley in living memory.
For the first time ever, we had our very own caterers serving up wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Despite the downpour, spirits were high as people caught up over the traditional Pimm’s.
We also celebrated the success of the latest cohort of rowers to race for Nonesuch in Henley Royal Regatta, all of whom were awarded Nonesuch blazer buttons. In addition, Robbie Prosser was awarded blazer buttons for receiving a Bristol Red, and Arnav Jain for completing his extremely successful tenure as Club Captain. Arnav was also welcomed as the latest member of the UBBC Alumni & Friends Committee.
We're looking forward to welcoming you all back next year, hopefully with better weather!
Introducing the UBBC Alumni and Friends Committee 2021-2023
After two years of outstanding commitment, it's time to say thank you and goodbye to our outgoing committee members, and hello to our new committee members. Our new committee will continue to promote the growth of our community and shape the future of UBBC alongside our Nonesuch Rowing Foundation trustees.
Our new committee:
Adam Rushton
Anna Roe
Caroline Welsh
Flo Ward
Jen Cocke
John Allden
Peter Jones
Tom Clark (Chair)
Will Stoner
Celebrating the Achievements of Piers Robinson
On 4th December 2021, at the end of a cold day of fierce racing at UBBC Head, over 100 students, alumni, and friends of UBBC huddled together in the UBBC boathouse to celebrate the achievements of Piers Robinson; UBBC Club Captain 1990-1991 and Henley Royal Regatta winner, and to formally name the club’s new men’s eight in his memory. We were pleased to welcome Piers’ wife Ingrid and their children Rory, Heidi, and Fergus.
We had the pleasure of hearing from Piers’ Henley-winning crewmates, Mark Langdale and Ashley Whittaker. Assisted by a ‘volunteer’ model from UBBC’s Novice squad, Mark gave us an exceptionally entertaining recollection of Piers’ design of the now-iconic Bristol Quarters, followed by Ashley sharing an inspirational insight into Piers’ determined mindset which led to UBBC’s first Henley Royal Regatta win in 1991.
Rory Robinson uncovered the bow of the new men’s eight to reveal the name Piers Robinson, before it was enthusiastically sprayed with champagne.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a very special afternoon. Read more about how the UBBC Alumni & Friends raised the funds for the new eight here.
Introducing The Nonesuch Rowing Foundation
After a long period of hard work by the UBBC Alumni & Friends Committee and our new Trustees (not helped by a large pandemic-shaped speed bump encountered along the way), we are very pleased to be able to introduce you to The Nonesuch Rowing Foundation; an independent UK-registered charity with the purpose of encouraging participation in rowing for students at the University of Bristol and Bristol’s community.
Beginning the 2021/22 Season
UBBC reopened its shutters on the 6th September 2021 to begin the 21/22 season. After a hugely successful Henley campaign, and with an influx of talented rowers into our Senior Squad, we are keen to keep our momentum going and build on the strong results we set last year. Training for the Senior Squad over pre-season and the first few weeks of term has gone well, with up to four Men’s and Women’s VIIIs and further athletes in small boats all training at Saltford and Coombe Dingle together.
We recently welcomed another Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar at the Boat Club, Ben Knowles (1st Year Economics). Ben becomes the fourth current Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar at UBBC and represents both the growing strength of our performance and also the on-going support of our sport by the University.
I am pleased to welcome Thomas Selby to the UBBC coaching team, appointed for our third coach position entitled ‘Novice Co-ordinator’. Tom previously coached at Hartpury College and will be overseeing the development of our novice squad when he arrives over the coming weeks. We are hugely grateful to The Fernside Trust and the SEH for funding this project, and we are excited to see the results Tom will bring in the future.
On the 25th September, UBBC took to Cleveland Lakes to row at the Open Day, showing our support for British Rowing to develop an 8-Lane 1500m Lake in the area. The day was hugely successful and provided a great experience of side-by-side training and racing, something which our stretch of the Avon isn’t particularly suited to. We’re hoping that the site will be developed over the coming year, and UBBC can make use of the lake on a regular basis.
All in all, a promising start to the season for UBBC. On behalf of the club I want to say a huge thank you to the UBBC Alumni & Friends. It means so much to have the generous support of such a large and welcoming community. It’s been amazing to see the growth of our equipment and facilities over the last few years, all down to the incredible generosity of our supporters, and I’m very excited for what’s to come!
Arnav Jain, UBBC Club Captain 2021/22
3rd Year Mechanical Engineering
A Double Henley Royal Regatta Win for UBBC Alumna Alice Davies
Without doubt the standout moment(s) of this regatta was Alice Davies (Leander) picking up not one, but two Red Boxes for wins in the Town and Remenham Challenge Cups.
Alice first picked up an oar on UBBC's Novice Program in 2015/16. She played a lead role in the successes of UBBC's Women's Squad in subsequent seasons, stroking the 1st 8+ to a 4th place finish in BUCS Championship 8's in 2018 (Bristol being the only non GB Rowing funded program to make this final) and earning a GB U23 vest in 2019. Since her rowing career has taken her to UL and more recently Leander Club, under whose guidance she progressed to representing GB at Senior Level.
Ed Bloomfield (UBBC Head Coach), who guided Alice's early development recalls:
"Alice, like many other accomplished UBBC oarsmen and women, was full of potential and just needed the slightest amount of guidance to go on and achieve great things. So, it comes as no surprise to see her win two red boxes in one day.
Teaching Alice to row was easy, anyone could have done it. Rarely do people pick up and oar and take to it so quickly. However due to a desire to work as hard as possible at every given moment it was often her body that let her down. Teaching Alice to look after herself was the challenge!
A great rower, but an even better person. You’d be hard pressed to find someone at the club who didn’t love ‘Slice’. My favourite moments with her were always in-between sessions, always smiling, always making you laugh. To see her pick up her red boxes in her Bristol blazer is very special for all of us"
(Photo credits: hrr.co.uk)