Here at DUBC we are very grateful for financial support from benefactors of the club. It is thanks to this kind of support that the athletes can continue to strive towards their goals and be the best they can be.
Donate
Your donation allows us to compete at a high level with the best equipment, and helps us subsidise the cost of training for our athletes.
Five-Year Plan
If you are interested in finding out more about our fundraising plans and boat purchase plan please click the following button.
Our Five-Year Plan
For a number of years, there has been a lack of investment in our equipment in comparison with our competitors. We receive little funding for equipment from the University and it is our area of greatest need. With your help, we can turn this around and renewals will quickly transfer to greater success in competitions.
Beginning in September 2020, a five-year fundraising plan was launched, building towards DUBC’s 150th anniversary in 2027. Our plan is to bring our boats to a standard better than our competition. Initially, we worked to buy boats to be used by the top athletes at Henley Royal Regatta, GB Trials and Head of the River. We felt that the success of the boat club in these events not only benefits DUBC, but also rowing in the region and participation of Durham’s Colleges. We have now transitioned into a phase of renewing the bulk of our fleet, aiming for an overhaul of our pairs, singles and quads. This allows us to generate more revenue by increasing our capacity to offer high-quality sculling camps and Learn to Row courses.
To raise these funds, we have been, and continue to be, approaching a wide range of potential donors, including our athletes’ families, alumni, corporate sponsors, and charitable trusts. The total figure below is the target to be raised within these five years, and steps have been taken to ensure that these plans are cost-effective and line with the long term interests of the club.
The Total Cost: £532,000
We have prepared a thorough and detailed plan, which includes a framework that we will be employing in order to make sure that this is both successful and withstands outgoing leadership. If you would like to read into our plans, please click the “Find out more” button above.
How you can support DUBC
Members of the club are committed to the high performance culture demanded by being a GB High Performance Centre, but need equipment to match their hard work and to be able to compete at the top level. To build our culture of success we want to be able to offer the highest standard of equipment to our athletes.
We would be very grateful for whatever contribution you feel able to make. Clearly not everyone is in a position to donate large sums for more expensive equipment, but even smaller sums for items such as individual blades, stroke coaches or fans would collectively make a huge difference for us.
Please email our fundraising officer to let him know the amount you donated and what it was designated for. We would like to thank each donor personally and arrange a meeting with the squad.
Fundraising Officer email: oliver.l.olby@durham.ac.uk
Alumni Testimonials
“My time at DUBC was a key part of my rowing career as it was here that I made the step up to elite level rowing. The generosity and support of all of the alumni and donors provided the resources and equipment to allow us at Durham to make that step up. This ultimately gave me with the opportunity to represent GB at two Olympic Games and win a silver medal in Tokyo. Their continued support will no doubt ensure the success of the next generation of DUBC.”
Angus Groom - 2021 Tokyo Olympics Silver Medallist M4x
DUBC ‘10-’13
“I was lucky enough to be introduced to the University when I was 14 years old through the Junior High Performance Programme, where the DUBC students and coaches mentored me and taught me my first ever rowing strokes. Wade Hall-Craggs was a huge part in my development as a junior and a student with his eye for detail and expert coaching. Jon Boyle taught me everything in the gym, his World Class S&C coaching and programming has gone from strength to strength, these sessions were always my favourite. The contributions from alumni allowed me to race in world-class boats. I will always be thankful for DUBC for everything it has done for me, and i wish success for future DUBC athletes in their rowing careers.”
Lauren Irwin - 2024 Olympic Bronze Medallist W8+
DUBC ‘16-’19
“My time at Durham undoubtedly shaped my career as it has turned out so far. Despite Covid cutting short my time with the boat club, I certainly owe almost all of my development to DUBC. In particular, my physical development across three years at university was immensely rewarding and I am hugely grateful for the world class coaching and programming across the club coaches and S&C. DUBC were blessed with incredible facilities within Maiden Castle and I am incredibly excited to see the continuing developments to the club’s training equipment indoors and, in particular, on the water. I hope that these investments continue to provide the DUBC athletes with the best opportunities to thrive and enjoy their time with the club as much as I did!”
George Bourne - 2022 World Championships Silver Medallist M4x
DUBC ‘17-’20
How your contribution matters
We are constantly looking to upgrade our equipment and to bring it in line with that of our competitors. Recent donations have enabled us to purchase top-end Filippi eights and pairs. However, donations of any size are vital to the running of the club and upkeep of our fleet - these range from wheels and seats, stroke coaches, new blades, and ultimately entire boats.
Purchasing a boat is the biggest donation that we seek, costing between £8,000 for a new Single Scull and £40,000 for a new Eight. Exact prices depend on the specifications of the boat.
For those who donate significant sums, we offer a boat naming ceremony attended by current members and alumni, as well as recognition at DUBC alumni events throughout the year. We aim to name our fleet after former DUBC olympians, honouring our long and illustrious heritage. These events are an opportunity to meet the athletes and coaches, view the club’s facilities and to celebrate. We will also keep you in touch with which races the boat is involved in, the crews taking part, some personal anecdotes from our athletes - and of course the results!
If you are interested in supporting DUBC, please follow the link below to get in touch with our Fundraising Officer to discuss your donation.
Fundraising Officer email: Oliver.l.olby@durham.ac.uk
Boat Naming
At Durham, the pride of our alumni is evidenced by the fact that so many of the boats in our fleet are named after generous alumni who have helped with their purchase; for which we are still greatly thankful for.
However there are a fair few, that we have either been able to purchase ourselves through our own fundraising or their donors have never been recognised. We would like to put this right and have your names on as many of our boats as possible.
The main focus of fundraising in the next three years is to improve the bulk of our racing and training fleet. These include eights, coxed and coulees fours, and pairs.
Whenever a boat is named, we shall have a ceremony celebrating it at one of our many events through the year. The two key events for this would be the Alumni Dinner in March and the Henley Drinks in early July, whichever is the more convenient for you to attend.
If you wish to have your name and contribution remembered forever on any of our boats, please send the Fundraising Officer an email at Oliver.l.olby@durham.ac.uk. From here we can discuss which boat you would like named, and how much you would be willing to donate to the club to do so!
