Five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave will be in Birmingham on Wednesday October 19th to give his support to the young competitors in the first annual Birmingham Schools Indoor Rowing Challenge.
Taking place at Nechells Community Centre, the event will be the culmination of 12 months of sweat and determination shown by school pupils, teachers and support staff at 20 secondary schools in the city.
In the past year, 10,000 secondary school pupils in Birmingham have benefited from a ?100,000 donation provided by the Steve Redgrave Trust (SRT), in conjunction with the West Bromwich Building Society and their partners the Mercian Trust.
The funding provided five Concept 2 Indoor Rowing Machines along with training and support to each school, to help integrate the sport of rowing into the curriculum and also into pupils and school staffs leisure time.
Said Councillor Les Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning: "The Birmingham Schools Indoor Rowing Challenge shows how the city is leading the way in innovative sporting initiatives, and we are delighted Sir Steve Redgrave will be on hand to cheer on our pupils at this important event.
"Indoor rowing allows pupils of all ages and abilities the opportunity to get fit and improve self confidence, and also the ability to relate the sport to the curriculum, through PE, Mathematics, Information Technology and Science."
Sir Steve Redgrave, who will be supporting more than 200 competitors facing each other at the inaugural Birmingham event, added: "One of the main focuses of the Steve Redgrave Trust is to present young people in the UK with opportunities which they wouldnt otherwise have had.
"The success of this scheme among the pupils at the 20 Birmingham schools has allowed us to make plans to roll this project out into other towns and cities across the UK, giving many thousands of young people the chance to get active, learn about healthy lifestyles, and be involved in sport.
"There is absolutely no barrier to taking part on the indoor rowing machines, which is why we have chosen this piece of equipment for this project, and we hope that this model will be one which can be repeated in many areas around the country.
The 20 participating schools will enter teams of eleven at the Birmingham Schools Indoor Rowing Challenge, with each team consisting of a male and female pupil from year seven to year eleven, along with a member of staff, competing to finish a 5,000m course in the quickest time.
Birmingham City Council, the West Bromwich Building Society and Concept 2 have all played a major part in getting the scheme off the ground, with the Council selecting the 20 schools on their current improvement plans, capacity for the development of the project, and the capacity to support families of schools and the local community.
Funding and support for the initiative has come from West Bromwich Building Society, which has a proud track record of supporting such community projects.
As Stephen Karle, Director of Operations at the Society said: "The West Brom has always had a strong commitment to the community, especially in supporting initiatives that enhance the development of young peoples potential. This project fits in perfectly with that principle and we are delighted to be involved with a project which, like Sir Steve Redgrave himself, is proving itself to be a winner."
One of the 20 schools to benefit from the initiative includes Holyhead School in Handsworth, where the scheme was launched in the city 12 months ago.
Holyhead headteacher Martin Bayliss has been delighted with the positive impact that indoor rowing has had at the school, and said: "Holyhead has benefited beyond all expectations from our involvement in the Birmingham Indoor Rowing Project. Following the launch the level of interest among students, staff and the local community has been incredibly high.
"Indoor Rowing Clubs flourish at the school, allowing already active sport participants another opportunity for increasing fitness levels and, more significantly, providing an outlet for the many who do not take part in the more traditional Physical Education programs on offer."
Added John Wilson, Marketing Director of Concept 2, the company who have provided the rowing machines in schools, and supported the introduction of indoor rowing: "One year after the introduction of Indoor Rowing into the 20 schools in Birmingham the success of the project has far exceeded the expectations of the Birmingham City Council and the teaching staff involved."
"There have been positive examples of pupil improvements participation in PE lessons and of increased activity level in pupils who have been targeted by the staff as being obese. Staff at schools have used the machines to help pupils in raising self esteem and confidence levels, developing healthier lifestyles as well as becoming skilled in a new sport."