Enniskillen Royal Boat Club have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for bringing young people together to build a healthy, connected community through excellence in rowing. The awards were announced in the London Gazette this morning, the QAVS is the highest award that a Voluntary Group can receive in the UK; it is the equivalent of an MBE.
The Boat Club is one of 230 groups across the UK to receive the award this year and one of three in Fermanagh which is a reflection of the amazing work that is being carried out in our community.
The official presentation of the award by Lord Lieutenant of Fermanagh, Viscount Brookborough will take place at a later date when lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Rowing has taken place at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, formerly Portora Royal School, since 1858, originally a sport for boarders at the school with a few day pupils taking part.
Crucially, in 1988 after the Enniskillen bomb Robert Northridge MBE, who was Master in charge of Rowing at the time, and Richard Bennett who was Headmaster, approached Fr. McQuaid and Fr. McEntee at St Michael’s College to see if some boys from that school would like to come to the Club to row as a cross community project. It was the start of something that has proven to be one of the most successful cross community projects in Northern Ireland, and was a huge turning point for the club in all aspects.
Importantly, in 2005 when Enniskillen Rowing Club wound up, female rowers came to the club along with Olympian Iain Kennedy and Gerry Murphy who are now the backbone of the coaching volunteers. Since then, rowers from every post primary school in Enniskillen have been able to row at the Club. One hundred and thirty six rowers aged between twelve and nineteen are currently members, with every post primary school being represented.
There was a large project undertaken in 2011 by volunteers at the Club, generously supported by the School’s trustees to build a new clubhouse and extend the boatshed and these opened in June 2013, greatly improving the facilities at the club.
Over the last few years the Parents’ Support Group, as well as fundraising for new equipment for the rowers has been involved in projects to prevent social isolation for parents and the local community setting up walking groups and challenges. Highlights have been the three “Not So Strictly” events, and taking part in the Tour of Fermanagh Cycle Ride in conjunction with Lisnaskea Emmett’s GAA Club.
The rowers and volunteers at the Club collect food and toys at Christmas to donate to St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army to help those less fortunate in the community.
ERBC has been working hard to improve the mental health of its young people through Action Mental Health locally, and actively promoting organ donation.
Some of the Volunteers are trained in the Heartstart First Aid training programme, and they will roll this out to all the rowers at the Club once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
During Lockdown, Head of Rowing at ERBC, Irish Olympian Derek Holland, completed a challenge to raise money for Action Mental Health and the local RNLI stations at Enniskillen and Carrybridge. The Club also recently collected toiletries which were donated to the District and Rapid Response nursing teams along with carers who work hard to look after patients at home during the COVID pandemic.
Derek Holland has paid tribute to all the volunteers who have helped out at the club over many years, coaching and supporting the young people. Everyone at the Club wants to thank, the Principal, Ms. Elizabeth Armstrong, the Board of Governors of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, the families from the Club and the local community for their continued support which has been essential. This is a very special day for the Club and everyone would like to pay tribute to the contribution that the late Tom Noble and the late Sir Anthony Hart made to the success of Enniskillen Royal Boat Club; they would both be very proud of this award.
