Newcastle University Boat CLub
League:
Australian University Games
State / Area:
NSW / Regional
Funding Requested
$1500
Voting has now finished.
Recipients will be announced on 6th June 2016.
About Newcastle University Boat CLub
Newcastle University Boat Club is a local sporting and social club based at the University of Newcastle, and on the Hunter River at Berry Park (near Maitland). Since its founding in 1961, the club has prided itself on catering to all ability levels. Our current membership base consists of about 50 members, who range in ability from beginners, who have only just started rowing at our “Learn to Row” program in February/March, all the way up to advanced competitors, who race at a national level. During the 2015/16 competitive season, we were represented by our competitive squad at more than 15 regattas. These included local regattas, at Berry Park, Newcastle, Taree and Port Macquarie, and higher level competitions, such as the NSW State Championships, Australian University Games and the Australian Rowing Championships (where we were extremely proud to claim a bronze medal!).
Value to the Community
We aim to make the sport of rowing financially accessible to university students, but we also welcome any members of the Newcastle and Hunter communities who wish to try the sport of rowing. Rowing combines strength, endurance and technical discipline, making it a fantastic way to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, especially during university, a time when many people begin developing habits that lead to poor health in later life. There is also a vibrant social culture within NUBC and this extends outside our immediate membership. We host several social events throughout the year, which are open to both members and non-members of our club. NUBC is a valuable contributor to our region’s rowing community. Each season we host two regattas at Berry Park. These events provide the opportunity to compete in events close to home for all rowing clubs in the Newcastle, Central and Mid North Coast areas.
Why the funds are needed
One of our key aims for 2016 is to send a squad of 20 competitors to the Australian University Games in Perth. To do this, we need to make sure that we have a way to transport our fleet safely across Australia. The club has a regatta trailer, which is used to carry boats to various regattas, however it has experienced some wear and tear over the years that we have had it. Before it can go to Perth, the boat racks on the trailer will need to be replaced so that our boats are not damaged by the rougher roads in central Australia. We have priced the materials to build new racks, and they will cost approximately $600.00. While our members will be able to help out by doing some of the labour, we are still going to need some hired expertise, which we estimate will cost around $900.00 to $1,000.00.
Links
We have a website - www.nubc.info - and a Facebook group - Newcastle University Boat Club (Australia).
Be sure to Like our Facebook page for news and updates.