Sponsorship Brochure Ironbridge Rowing Club

Transcription

1 Sponsorship Brochure Ironbridge Rowing Club

2 Ironbridge Rowing Club is one of the longest established rowing clubs in Britain and has long been an integral part of our area s sport, culmina;ng each year in the two day June Rega>a, which typically a>racts more than 700 compe;tors from all over the country. Interna;onal rowing is now one of our na;onal success stories, but at grass roots level the variety it offers to athletes of all ages and abili;es can give a life;me of enjoyment to those who par;cipate. At Ironbridge we aim to provide the best that rowing can offer and, very importantly, make it possible for people from any background who want to experience our sport to be able to do so. Welcome Just a few years ago we were fortunate enough to win Lo>ery support to build a modern clubhouse, boathouse and training facility, but there is a constant need to replace and update our boats and equipment. Today s racing boats, oars and sculls are ultra lightweight, high- tech items with a typical lifespan of ten years, and they are of course expensive. Our policy of keeping club subscrip;ons at a level which is affordable for all means we have to look at other ways of raising necessary funds. This year our aim is to fund a new quadruple scull training boat, which is vital for our junior members, and a new racing four to replace a fineen year old boat for our increasingly successful ladies crews. We have succeeded in finding half the cost internally from reserves, but we need to raise the remaining We appreciate that each year you will receive many requests for financial support and that the economic climate is not ideal, but that said, I do hope you will find ;me to read this small booklet and consider the range of benefits we are able to offer you. I have been involved with this club for almost forty years and have seen the real benefits it has given to so many local people. It is a worthwhile enterprise. David Sankey President, Ironbridge Rowing Club January 2015

3 History of Our Rowing Club Ironbridge Rowing Club was founded in 1870 to promote the sport of rowing in the Ironbridge Gorge. It was one of the first rowing clubs to be founded away from the Thames Valley as the sport of rowing developed in the 19th Century. The Ironbridge Gorge provides ideal condi;ons in one of the most scenic se\ngs for the sport in the UK. Ironbridge Rowing Club Boathouse Membership has fluctuated throughout the Club s life, with a recent increase in the number of junior members. The Club currently has a membership of approximately one hundred but has facili;es to accommodate more. Crews range between ages 12 to 60+, compe;ng in events around the country. Past support has enabled the Club to build a spacious and hi- spec clubhouse and training facility, which opened in Boa;ng on from our landing stage, it is possible to use up to 4.5 miles of the River Severn and except in condi;ons of extreme flood the river can be used all year round. It is also an extremely a>rac;ve site; Ironbridge Gorge is a major tourist area, a>rac;ng thousands of visitors each year and one of the leading UNESCO World Heritage sites in Britain. In addi;on to providing boats and rowing facili;es for its members, the Club runs a weekend rega>a every year. See the RegaBa page for more details. About IRC IRC Celebra;ng the Olympic Torch Relay in Ironbridge

4 Rowing at Ironbridge Whilst the emphasis of the Club is on compe;;ve rowing in rega>as, head races and other events there is no pressure on members to compete. Recrea;onal rowing is encouraged and appropriate pathways are open for those wan;ng to progress. Rowing at Ironbridge is not therefore exclusively for those who are necessarily naturally gined athle;cally. In addi;on, opportuni;es are available for members to coach or learn to cox a crew, hopefully to victory! The Club encompasses all sec;ons of the community. There are no restric;on as to age, sex, or race and, in so far as it is possible, there are no restric;ons on disabled members. Current members come from a wide cross sec;on of social backgrounds. Contrary to popular belief, rowing is not an eli;st sport. The Club is affiliated to Bri;sh Rowing. Being affiliated to the Na;onal Governing Body of the sport indicates that the Club recognises its responsibili;es to its members to conduct rowing within the good prac;ce guidelines for safety, training, governance, equity, an;- doping and other policies developed and prac;sed for the benefit of all rowers. Senior Men s IV racing to victory at Stourport Rega>a The Club is cons;tuted under the terms of a Trust Deed. An elected captain, vice- captains, secretary, treasurer and commi>ee oversee the day- to- day running of the Club; elec;ons are held annually. Ul;mately, Ironbridge Rowing Club belongs to and is run by its members. The future success and survival of the Club is therefore solely dependent upon their con;nued support. This is something that we try to ins;l in all of our new members and is what makes the Club what it is today.

5 Courtesy of the Shropshire Star Courtesy of CountryStyle Photography Ironbridge Rega;a The last weekend in June each year, Ironbridge Gorge is the se\ng for one of the most popular and exci;ng rowing rega>as in the country hosted by the Club. The rega>a a>racts around 1,500 compe;tors, families and supporters to the Ironbridge Gorge each day over the weekend many of which will stay overnight and visit the town or go further afield around the county providing benefits for a variety of businesses opera;ng in Ironbridge, Telford and outlying areas. The Club has a long history in the sport and a very high reputa;on as being friendly and welcoming throughout the rowing world. This is not only due to the Rega>a, the fantas;c loca;on and the facili;es it enjoys, but also because of the year- in- year- out dedica;on and voluntary efforts of its membership. Ironbridge Rowing Club is certainly a club run for members, by members. For the Club, as with many local sports club events, the rega>a represents the major part of Club fund raising ac;vi;es for the en;re year. It not only enables us to maintain our boats, equipment and infrastructure, but allows us to be able to introduce new members - of all ages and abili;es - to our sport, as well as those who may have Ironbridge Rega>a rowed elsewhere.

6 Racing Ironbridge crews race at different loca;ons around the region all year round. Typically the crews travel to local rega>as and head races such as Stourport, Bewdley, Bridgnorth, Worcester and Shrewsbury, which may be of interest to any business wishing to adver;se regionally. We travel further afield around the country too. In 2013 the Women s Double Scull qualified into the fastest 16 crews to compete at Henley Women s Rega>a, and the Men s Double Scull won their class at the Boston Marathon. Occasionally we travel abroad, for instance in early 2014 the Club s Veteran Men s IV competed in the Brugge Boat Race. When we a>end races, it is onen a club- wide event with lots of crews compe;ng in a variety of boats. We transport our boats to the race on a special boat trailer which remains at the race venue throughout the day or weekend. IRC Women s Double Scull compe;ng at Henley IRC s trailer loaded with boats ready for transport to a rega>a When travelling to or from a race, the trailer a>racts a lot of a>en;on from other road users. Again this may be appealing to businesses wishing to target a local audience for adver;sing. IRC Women s VIII at Women s Eights Head of the River Race, London 2012

7 The Club also hires its facili;es for wedding recep;ons, par;es, business training and seminars etc, and the a>rac;ve loca;on makes it a popular venue. We have a large func;on room, licensed bar and ample parking facili;es in a beau;ful loca;on right by the river, available for hire throughout the year. Please contact us to arrange a no- obliga;on viewing of our facili;es and a discussion of what we could offer you. The bar at Ironbridge Rowing Club Facili=es Hire The func;on room set up for a celebra;on dinner The view from the balcony in the bar

8 We are a compe;;ve but friendly club looking to maintain our high standards. In return for sponsorship we can offer a high level of exposure to people across the region, as well as access to the bar and events room at the Club so that you can host events in a great environment with stunning views. Andy Marsh Girton College Boat Club, University of Cambridge, is sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers. SSBC Publicity We have iden;fied several ways in which Ironbridge Rowing Club could provide adver;sing opportunites for your firm. Examples of all of these are already in place at many clubs across the country and we have included photographs of other rowing clubs with sponsorship to demonstrate this. Equipment Many companies choose to place their logo on the rowing equipment itself; on the oar shans or the boat shell. SSBC Corpus Chris; College Boat Club, University of Cambridge, is sponsored by Barclays and display the logo on the stern of their boat.

9 Boat or Blade Sponsorship It costs us thousands to ensure that every rower has a suitable boat to row in. We have rowers ranging from small children and disabled members to those in their 60s and 70s. We are looking for boat or blade sponsors to help us con;nue to support local rowers. Brand visibility is an a>rac;ve and eye- catching way of raising awareness of your products and services as described on our Publicity page. Your company name will be seen by hundreds of people throughout the year on the river at Ironbridge and at rowing events around the region. We issue media releases with photography to local press which would feature your branding. Towing Vehicles Sponsorship The Club has a large boat trailer that is used to take our boats to other events across the country as described and pictured on our Racing page. The trailer travels at least a thousand miles a year around the country. These trailers have panels at the front, sides and rear which we could fill with adver;sements. New Boat (Men s VIII 20,500 / Women s IV 13,500) - Our fleet of boats not only needs to expand to allow for greater par;cipa;on in our sport, but old equipment also needs replacing. Your company could help to finance a much needed new boat to replace our ageing Men s VIII and Women s IV. Our current boats are 26 and 15 years old, respec;vely. ANer many repairs the boats have come to the point where it is uneconomical and unviable to repair or refurbish them, and indeed have become outdated. Sponsors wishing to make a substan;al dona;on of buying a boat for the Club would get naming rights for the boat, life;me sponsorship of the boat and a press release wri>en and issued to the local press about the contribu;on. Grant opportuni;es may be available to mirror your contribu;on in these circumstances. New Blades (up to 310 per blade) - Your company would help to fund the purchase of much needed new racing blades for the crews. Second only to the boat, the blades are a key component in ensuring an effec;ve racing crew. Our current racing blades are over 10 years old, and due to their degrading condi;on make it difficult to row efficiently and compe;;vely. Your company s logo or name would appear on each of the blades. These blades are highly visible parts of crew equipment and feature prominently on team photos. Insert photo here Celebra;ng a win at Shrewsbury Rega>a Your Op=ons

10 DonaVons - All dona;ons from the public and companies alike will always be most gratefully received, no ma>er how large or small. Courtesy of the Shropshire Star Your Op=ons Website - Our website can be viewed at The website is kept up to date with Club news, informa;on on training and racing, rega>a informa;on and photographs. The website is accessed regularly by the general public, and in par;cular our prospec;ve Club members. We could promote your organisa;on by displaying your company name and logo on our website along with a link to your website if desired. We could even dedicate a full page to your organisa;on too. Club FaciliVes - The excellent and accessible facili;es of Ironbridge Rowing Club could be hired out for mee;ngs or conference events at affordable prices. Alterna;vely, these facili;es could be hired out free of charge as part of a larger sponsorship package. Adverts on novceboards The clubhouse is accessed not just by members but their family and friends too. There are several no;ce boards located around the clubhouse, and your organisa;on s choice of poster or flyer could appear on them. Advert in member booklet Each member receives a booklet that could contain appropriate recogni;on of your organisa;on s support of Ironbridge Rowing Club. IRC s website Example of publicity for IRC on Shropshire Star website

11 We would like our sponsors to have a long- term partnership with Ironbridge Rowing Club, so we are offering opportuni;es at various levels of investment from head sponsors to event partners. We have packages available to suit all budgets, but all aspects can be nego;ated to suit individual requirements. Sponsorship packages can be tailored to your business depending on how much you would like to invest and the par;cular marke;ng targets that your business has. If any of our ideas are of interest to you, or indeed if you have any ideas about sponsorship, please get in touch with us for an informal discussion, following which we will send you a selec;on of sponsorship proposals if you wish. Inves;ng in sponsorship of Ironbridge Rowing Club is an excellent opportunity for any local or na;onal business. As we have demonstrated, your business has the poten;al to reach a huge and varied audience through us. Summary Members of IRC celebra;ng their wins! A ladies IV on their way downstream to the Ironbridge

12 If you would like more informa;on about how your organisa;on could benefit from a rela;onship with Ironbridge Rowing Club, please contact the club sponsorship secretary Ruth James at: Ironbridge Rowing Club Buildwas Road Coalbrookdale Telford Shropshire TF8 7BJ ironbridgerowingclub@gmail.com Contact Telephone: (Mon- Thurs evenings, Saturday & Sunday mornings) Further informa;on about Ironbridge Rowing Club can also be found on our website: h>p:// Many thanks to the Shropshire Star, CountryStyle Photography and members of Ironbridge Rowing Club for the photographs used in this brochure.