Explore Rowing
Top 3 facts
- Explore Rowing was launched by Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave
- The site used Open Layer technology because Google Map's is not good at showing rivers
- The site includes an imported database of 539 rowing clubs from around the UK
British Rowing Twitter Feed
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RT @VisitOxfordshir: Just had a lovely walk around the @OnTheRiverbank River & Rowing Museum in Henley! Great exhibitions on th Olympic ...
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Ever wanted to ask Sir Steve Redgrave a question? Now's your chance! Email your Q to magazine@britishrowing.org; top 10 will feature in R&R…
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RT @PeteReed2012: GB Rowers vs GB Kayakers in a Sport Relief Come Dine With Me special. Please sponsor our chefs by texting 70070 "Dine9 ...
In order to promote different types of rowing and expand the appeal of the sport, British Rowing created a new programme, “Explore Rowing”. Adding a social network allows the program to expand by providing more options to rowers and novices alike and encouraging them to get involved in the sport.
Commissioned by British Rowing, the social network aims to incorporate a range of community and web 2.0 functionality in order to break the perception of rowing being a hard and time consuming pursuit. The programme will make a major contribution to British Rowing’s target of increasing the overall number of UK rowers by the Olympic year, 2012. Explore Rowing is aimed primarily at those who have not considered rowing as a sport before by introducing ‘gentler’ routes and a more flexible way of participating in the sport.
“We hope that Explore Rowing can do the same for those over 16 - opening up the sport to a wider range of participants.” British Rowing’s National Manager, Rosemary Napp
Around the objectives emerged ideas for some robust social networking features. A very visually appealing layout was created along with events and activity feeds to draw visitors into the site and show its activeness. Integration with OpenLayer allows for precise route maps to be saved on the site, which is a key feature since rivers are not clear on Google Maps.
In the end, the site is visually appealing and presented in a way that makes it feel open to everyone. People who were already users of the British Rowing website can use their same login to be active in the Explore Rowing online community. The user generated content, especially the ability to add routes, has proved to be an exciting and active part of the community.
Special thanks to: Alistair, Rich and Edwin
Weblink: www.explorerowing.org
Key features include:
Personalized ProfilesEach user is able to keep track of their content and online status through customised profiles which include wall (news feeds), about text and contributed content such as blogs, routes and challenges. User profiles have two distinct feeds on their user wall, both all site activity feed and Your feed provides up to date information on recent activity throughout the site. |
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GroupsAuthenticated users can create groups for like minded individuals; this allows users to interact around a specific subject and exchange ideas and news. Any user can join a group and add a message, image, video or event to associate with that group or club. Groups are generally a good method in uniting like minded individuals around a specific subject . |
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ClubsEach club has their own profile, similar to a registered user; they have a logo, basic information, Google map indicating their location and related content they have contributed throughout the site. British Rowing allowed access to their database of clubs which was imported to the Explore Rowing site |
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RoutesUsers can create Routes; a content type which enables them to mark a lined route on an OpenLayer map, they are then able to see the exact length and region of the route which other users can participate in. Rivers are not clear on Google Maps, so OpenLayer technology was used to draw routes. Users can pin-point the exact direction and length of the route by mapping a direction line over the map. |
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The Port of London Authority (PLA) has released a video which is designed to help crews safely navigate the upper tidal Thames between Putney and Kew.
The film provides a simple guide to the unique Code of Conduct for safe rowing on the tidal Thames, useful for both newcomers to the Tideway and experienced rowers looking to refresh their knowledge.
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British Rowing is pleased to announce an adaptive rowing classification opportunity at Crosby, Merseyside, allowing rowers with a disability or physical impairment to establish their racing classification.
The classification opportunity – which is free of charge – will take place on 10 March 2012, at Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre, Crosby Coastal Park, L22 1RR.
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British Rowing’s flagship water safety advice, RowSafe, is being given a makeover, and we’d like your feedback on some of the ideas we’ve come up with so far.
We hope that the addition of RowSafe Plus sheets will be a welcome modernisation to our water safety guidance in our rapidly developing sport.
See below for a selection of sample RowSafe and RowSafe Plus pages, for feedback.
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Six months into Sport England’s Sportivate Olympic and Paralympic legacy project, and 33,000 young people have taken up sport in their own time.
Sportivate aims to get hundreds of thousands of 14 to 25-year-olds taking part in sport over the next four years by offering them a pathway into sports clubs and venues across the country.
Figures published yesterday show that, of the 33,000 Sportivate participants who have received six to eight weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice, almost 26,000 took part in the last three months alone.
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The 2012 Wycliffe Big Head and Peterborough Heads have been cancelled, due to adverse weather conditions.
With temperatures well below freezing, the Gloucester Berkeley Canal had this morning (Friday) frozen to the North and South of the Wycliffe Sculling Centre boathouse.
Organisers had posted a warning about the weather conditions on the official WBH website earlier this week, before making the decision today to call off Saturday’s event.
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