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 @GBRowingTeam: Pam: Hi! Really excited for #100DaysToGo and i'm ready for you're questions! #askPam t.co/joPVwU8k
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RT @jesseddie: Got any questions for Pam!?Live twitter Q&A with GB adaptive rower @PamRelph2012 at 5:30pm. #askPam. #100daystogo.
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RT @parasportuk: @britishrowing #100daystogo to the Paralympics! Hopefully we can help more people like Sam get into rowing this summer ...
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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Sport England today announced an £8 million fund to get more disabled people playing sport.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – one of Britain’s greatest Paralympians – was on hand to help Sport England launch the new Inclusive Sport fund, which will offer grants of over £10,000 to organisations ‘with the ideas and expertise to open up more sporting opportunities for disabled people’.
Sport England intends for the fund to tackle the opportunity gap that sees one in six disabled adults take part in sport regularly, compared to one in three able-bodied adults.
Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “It is an uncomfortable truth that disabled people enjoy fewer opportunities to get involved in sport. Sport England is committed to changing that, and making it easier for disabled people to fit sport into their daily lives.
“The Paralympic Games will put the sporting achievements of disabled people in the spotlight as never before. I want to make sure that Sport England's £8m lottery investment is a catalyst to help more disabled people get involved.”
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said: “I am delighted that this new allocation of funding is available and is specifically targeted at improving access to grassroots sport to more disabled people. I am confident that this will encourage people who don’t come from a traditional sporting background to participate.”
Clubs can bid for Inclusive Sport funding until 5pm on 13th August 2012. Find out more about the fund and how to apply at www.sportengland.org.
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Monday 21st May marks 100 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
More than one million tickets are available for the London 2012 Paralympic Games and there’s still a chance for you to be there. Remaining tickets, which include Rowing, will go on sale at 11am today, Monday 21 May 2012 on a first come, first served basis.
Tickets are available across all sports and nearly all sessions.
Download or view list of available Paralympic sports
These include many sport medal sessions and ceremonies, Athletics, Swimming, 7-a-side Football, Equestrian, Wheelchair Basketball and Rowing. A limited number of tickets are also available for Track Cycling in the Velodrome.
With nearly 300 sessions on offer across 20 venues, ranging from Brands Hatch in Kent to the Olympic Park, there is something for everyone.
Ticket prices start at just £10, and only £5 for young people and seniors. Also available are our day passes, exclusive to the Paralympic Games. These give general admission to see up to five sports for just £10 in the Olympic Park or at ExCeL.
Tickets go on sale at www.tickets.london2012.com
Any remaining Olympic Games tickets go on sale at 11am on, Wednesday 23 May 2012.
The London 2012 ticketing team
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Landaff Rowing Club’s Row for Gold Regatta will feature two firsts for 2012 – the introduction of Adaptive Rowing races and an open event for sea rowers.
The two-day Regatta will take place in Cardiff on the 7th and 8th of July, and hopes to attract a diverse entry of rowers from right across the UK.
“We’re delighted to welcome adaptive rowers,” said club captain Sarah Thomas. “Dan Grant, Welsh Rowing’s adaptive coach, has been working with us for some time and we’re hoping this opportunity to compete will spark interest from adaptive athletes from well beyond the border.
“It will be interesting to have the sea rowing boats here, too. Sea rowing clubs are thriving in Wales – not surprisingly, really, when you think of how much coastline we have – and we’ve been promised our river rowers will get a chance to have a go too.”
The Llandaff Regatta is a Row for Gold event, as are Llandaff RC’s Learn to Row courses and the club’s popular autumn Pub & Club Regatta.
“We want to capitalise on the surge of interest we’re sure will be generated by the Olympics,” added Sarah. “This is a great chance to show everyone what a fantastic sport we have.”
For more information about the 2012 Llandaff Regatta, see the official flyer or contact Llandaff RC.
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Landaff Rowing Club’s Row for Gold Regatta will feature two firsts for 2012 – the introduction of Adaptive Rowing races and an open event for sea rowers.
The two-day Regatta will take place in Cardiff on the 7th and 8th of July, and hopes to attract a diverse entry of rowers from right across the UK.
“We’re delighted to welcome adaptive rowers,” said club captain Sarah Thomas. “Dan Grant, Welsh Rowing’s adaptive coach, has been working with us for some time and we’re hoping this opportunity to compete will spark interest from adaptive athletes from well beyond the border.
“It will be interesting to have the sea rowing boats here, too. Sea rowing clubs are thriving in Wales – not surprisingly, really, when you think of how much coastline we have – and we’ve been promised our river rowers will get a chance to have a go too.”
The Llandaff Regatta is a Row for Gold event, as are Llandaff RC’s Learn to Row courses and the club’s popular autumn Pub & Club Regatta.
“We want to capitalise on the surge of interest we’re sure will be generated by the Olympics,” added Sarah. “This is a great chance to show everyone what a fantastic sport we have.”
For more information about the 2012 Llandaff Regatta, contact Llandaff RC.
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Organisers have revealed the final details for the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, which promises to be one of the most spectacular pageants in London’s illustrious history.
The unique 1,000-boat pageant will include 20,000 participants on the water, and up to a million spectators along the banks of the River Thames.
Pageant Master Adrian Evans today revealed that 50 giant screens will be erected along the Thames to give spectators a prime view of all the day’s proceedings, and also highlighted the best vantage points to witness the seven mile long flotilla in person.
Tickets are still available for the main Diamond Jubilee Festival in Battersea Park, and can be purchased for £5 per person (children under the age of 12 can enter for free). Tickets will not be available on the gate.
For those without tickets to the Battersea Park event, road and bridge-closures either side of the river mean that large portions of central London will effectively be pedestrianised between 7am and 10pm. An interactive map outlining the best places to view the pageant from the riverside is available at www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org/InteractiveMap.aspx.
The pageant will begin at 2pm – weather permitting – and end at 6pm, starting at Battersea Bridge and finishing at Tower Bridge.
For a detailed overview of the June 3rd event, visit http://www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org/EventInformation.aspx.
