National Schools’ Regatta is proud to be a charity with a mission to support junior rowing across the UK.  The Regatta’s royalty from its licensed shop that sells items bearing the NSR logo, as well as a portion of any regatta operating surplus, is put towards helping schools and rowing clubs with their junior rowing projects by way of grants awarded by the trustees.

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Over the years the regatta has given a variety of awards to clubs and schools who are working with junior rowers to provide opportunity and experience.  The NSR charity has funded club/school equipment to enable more young rowers to enjoy our sport.  Occasionally, it has funded outreach or coaching posts for a short period. Young people learn dedication, organisation and develop team working skills and friendships through rowing. The work of the coaches, teachers, and volunteers who bring and enable more young rowers into our sporting community is inspiring.  We want every young rower to be enthused by rowing and to make sport a lifelong activity.

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​In 2024 we distributed a record £72,500 across the following:

Aberdeen Schools' Rowing Association

Agecroft Rowing Club

City of Bristol Rowing Club

Greater Manchester Youth Rowing

Hexham Rowing Club

Inverness Rowing Club

Northampton Rowing Club

Tormead School

Walton Rowing Club

Wallingford Rowing Club

Warrington Rowing Club

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​These grants were principally used to purchase essential equipment to enable more junior rowers to enjoy our sport.

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Criteria for awarding grants

Our grants are made to UK rowing clubs registered with British Rowing.

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Our support requires that applications must be for the benefit of young people: our charitable objectives are solely in connection with junior rowing/sculling. We prefer to encourage participation in rowing or sculling by the young through the provision of items which get them ‘on the water’, namely rowing/sculling boats, sculls, oars.

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In order to be considered for a grant, you must be:

• located in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• a club registered with British Rowing

• an established club with an active junior programme

• applying for a grant for a specific project and purpose, e.g. “a second hand 4x+ for the J13s so the club can run more Learn To Row courses for this age group” or “a new set of double sculls for our more experienced juniors so that they can compete at a higher level”.  Vague requests such as “more equipment for our juniors” are highly unlikely to result in a grant award.

• able to show that the equipment can be used only by juniors

• able to demonstrate what fund-raising you have undertaken towards the project, and to which other grant-making bodies you have applied (if any) and with what outcome

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We do NOT make grants for:

• coaching fees, subsidised memberships, revenue, or any commitment requiring long term support

• items such as pontoons, boat racking/storage or other building works

• launches or launch engines

• minibuses or trailers

• ergometers or any other land training equipment

• cox boxes or other boat telemetry; loud hailers or radios; lifejackets

• retrospective applications for equipment which has already been purchased

• individual’s equipment or other costs

• indoor-only rowing programmes

• other water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, swimming, sailing​

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The Trustees retain absolute discretion when considering grant applications.

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Requirements when submitting an application

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In order for the Trustees to consider an application, we require:

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• submission of a completed online application form (see below)

• confirmation that your application meets all the criteria listed above

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You may also be asked to provide a set of recent accounts for your Club.

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Please note that once the funding window closes there will be a period of around one-two months before you hear the outcome of your application whilst the Trustees (who are all volunteers) process and consider the many submissions received.

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If we award a grant then the Terms & Conditions of the Award must be endorsed by two Officers of the Club/Organisation (Chair, Captain, Secretary, etc).  In general, we prefer to pay the supplier the granted amount; this enables us to ensure the specification is for use by juniors.

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If you have any queries about your potential application then please get in touch via treasurer@nationalschoolsregatta.co.uk

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If you would like to apply for funding support with your project please submit a proposal on the application form using the link below

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