We continue to be able to buy new boats and expand our fleet, we have recently christened new boats and announced additions to our fleet – we hope this will continue. In addition we are expanding our coaching resources and continue to improve our boat shed and facilities.
It is an important reminder that all of this is achieved for the benefit of the RRC members through the sublease of part of our club facilities to MLC and by allowing our facilities to be hired for events in order that we can generate these. We will see more of the MLC school rowers in the club over coming weeks and months as their rowing season increases and as Spring and Summer comes the hire of our venue will increase.
Given this arrangement it is important we all work together to use our facilities by accommodating the needs of others while they are present, as without ongoing subleasing and hiring of the venue we would not be able to fund our activities without significantly increasing our membership fees.
Currently we have an excellent relationship with MLC and get great feedback from people who hire our venue so things are working well. Therefore just a quick reminder of how to use the club when others are present and how to leave the club ready for others so this continues.
- We have an agreement with MLC during term time that their rowers will have access to the gym and classroom area from 3pm until 6pm on weekdays – please be understanding of this and do not set up in the classroom before 6pm if it being used. If the main hall is available it can be used.
- After 6pm if there are no functions on in either the main hall or classroom area please open the gym wall and set up your erg in the classroom area. If you start erging in the gym with the wall closed you are likely to be asked to move so others can access the classroom with their ergs or use the weights in the gym.
- As you use the classroom, set up your erg so others can use the area with at least 8 ergs facing the window. If you set up in the middle of the room people are going to squeeze past you and get in your way.
- Once you have finished your erg, wipe it down and restore it in the gym in the same way it came out so 12 ergs can fit in the blue lines neatly (it really does work). Similarly when you finish your weights session, restack the weights and bars, take the weights off the bars (they bend and get in the way!!!).
- Last person/group out of the classroom close the sliding door so functions can happen the next day.
- If there are functions on in the main hall when you arrive please use the gym with the sliding door closed and be considerate of noise.
- In the unlikely event a function means you can’t access the classroom and main hall you can always take an erg downstairs into the boat bay or do your off water session outside for a change of scenery. If you are here for an on water session arrange yourself in the boat bay to minimise your impact on someone’s wedding or function.
- When there are functions on members do have access to the change rooms and gym but should not hang around in the corridor and toilets, particularly if they are in rowing gear as this can be something of a shock to people attending a function!!!
- Please leave the hall/classroom tidy when you leave, we book cleaners to come in the morning after each function has finished not before them.
- If you come across an issue at the club where maintenance is required drop an email to Lucy our Facilities Coordinator at [email protected]
All hall hires are booked in the club calendar on the website, it’s easy to check out when they are on and what time they run until – check out the calendar http://3.25.77.84/events/month/.
As a Committee we have recognized that the hall hires are very popular in November and December so we have tried to limit the frequency of events and make sure the club is available on Sundays given this is a major training day. Invariably the busiest times for events are Friday and Saturday nights with the biggest ones using all our facilities with caterers occasionally having to store items in the gym, check out the calendar and time your training accordingly.
And remember in the unlikely event you are frustrated by only being able to use the gym with the wall closed or having to do an outdoor session on a Friday night, the hall hire is generating vital funds towards that new boat.