Community rowing facility opens at London 2012 venue

A facility encouraging local people to participate in Rowing has been made out of two cabins which were used at Eton Dorney during London 2012.

The indoor centre offers space for the storing of boats and kayaks, changing facilities and a basic gym with indoor rowing facilities.

Sport England, British Rowing, British Canoeing and youth engagement group, the Slough West Indian People’s Enterprise (SWIPE) have collaborated on the project to deliver “free, or low cost” rowing and canoeing activities.

Eton College – which owns the lake – has leased it out following negotiations with British Rowing, Slough Borough Council, SWIPE and Get Berkshire Active.

Berkshire-based Eton Dorney is a purpose-built rowing lake which was used for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“It has been hard work pulling all elements of this project together, so it is really exciting to finally see all that pay off,” said Chris Farrell, strategic project officer at British Rowing.

“We exceeded our targets of getting 100 participants on the water by 2017 with over 800 local people already having had the opportunity to try rowing or canoeing, and this is only the start.”