Evesham rowing club secures future after raising £90k

A rowing club that has trained world-class athletes has secured its long-term future after raising £90,000 to buy a 160-year-old boathouse.

Evesham Rowing and Racquets Club offers rowing, tennis and squash, a riverside cafe, and hosts events such as an annual regatta and dragon boat races.

The “kind” boathouse owners have leased it to the club for a peppercorn rent for generations, but recently offered to sell it “at a favourable price”.

“Once the purchase has gone through and we own the freehold, we will be able to guarantee that the club can live on into perpetuity,” said vice-chair Tony Rowland.

He described the news as “brilliant” and said it was thanks to “very, very generous philanthropic donors”, many of whom had been involved in the club for decades and wanted to preserve it for younger members.

“That means we can put money into the club to develop it further as a sporting facility, whether it be rowing, weights, tennis or squash,” he said.

Rowland added it was also set to become a community interest amateur sports club, and may introduce padel tennis.

The site, on Abbey Road in Evesham, has been home to Olympic gold medallists Alex Gregory and Zac Purchase as well as Paralympian Kingsley Ijomah.

Believed to be one of the oldest rowing clubs in the country, it is run by volunteers and members alongside five part-time employees.

Many members in their late 70s were still “actively rowing”, Rowland said.

“There’s not many sports where a father and son can row together competitively,” he added.