Large Development Support for Sport Grants are designed to encourage growth within existing clubs or help attract new participants to sport in the Belfast area. Eligible applicants must be local clubs or organisations affiliated with a Sport Northern Ireland recognised governing body. The organisation must be based in Belfast, with at least 75% of members residing in the city. A current three-year Club Development Plan is required, with at least one year remaining, and the project must be included in this plan. Applications must also link to the National Governing Body’s development plan and include a letter of support. Projects must be sustainable, inclusive, and have measurable targets. Funding is limited to a maximum of £5,000 per financial year, and only one application per organisation is permitted.

Sporting Individual Grants are available to support elite athletes who represent Belfast on the international stage. These grants assist with expenses related to preparation, training, and competitions that are recognised by the athlete’s governing body. Eligible individuals must be part of a Great Britain High Performance Squad or an equivalent in an Olympic, Paralympic, or Commonwealth sport. Applications must be submitted through recognised sports governing bodies, including for those participating in team sports. The maximum grant available is £1,000. An individual may only receive one grant per financial year, though a governing body may submit applications on behalf of multiple individuals.

Visit here for more information.

Applications can be submitted here.

Do you love rowing and want to share your passion with the next generation? Get Going Get Rowing is looking for enthusiastic coaches to introduce the sport to primary and secondary school students in this area.

If you have a few hours free during the school day once or twice a week, this is a great opportunity to get involved. Full training is provided! You’ll have fun, make a difference, and help inspire young rowers.

Interested? Get in touch with Caroline at caroline@rowingireland.ie to learn more.

There may be further guidance relevant to educational settings.

The return to sport protocols put in place by sports governing bodies should be strictly adhered to including hygiene measures, social distancing and other mitigations.

Any behaviour which may encourage the risk of transmission around sports activities, such as car sharing, congregation of people on the side-lines and sporting celebrations, should be avoided. 

Sports governing bodies have a responsibility to ensure full compliance with the protocols and are expected to put arrangements in place to deal with non-compliant clubs, participants and coaches.  

Please see Sport Northern Ireland Return to Sport Guidance sportni.net/return-to-sport/ and NI Direct government services. nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-regulations-and-guidance-what-they-mean-you#toc-13

Each Club shall pay to the Ulster Branch a subscription of £25.00 and in each succeeding year an annual subscription of £25.00 each, such subscription to be paid to the Honorary Treasurer of the Ulster Branch not later than the commencement of the Annual General Meeting. Any Club which has not paid its subscription for the succeeding year by the commencement of the AGM shall forfeit its voting rights at this AGM and shall cease to be a member of the Ulster Branch until such time as all arrears of subscriptions are paid to the Honorary Treasurer of the Ulster Branch.

The official representative of each club must be a bona fide member of that club and at the AGM shall be entitled to one vote. Further reports will follow when available, along with a Zoom meeting invitation. They will be sent to the latest representative on record for each club. Clubs wishing to register a different rep for this meeting should contact the branch.

Agenda:

• List of those present and apologies.
• Housekeeping rules for Zoom meeting.
• Receive minutes of last Annual General Meeting held on the 30th of June 2020.
• Receive the Report of the Ulster Branch Committee and make such orders with regard to the same as seems proper to the Ulster Branch.
• Receive the Balance Sheet and the Income and Expenditure Account for the 12 months preceding 31st December together with the Auditor’s Report on them and make such orders with regard to the same as seems proper to the Ulster Branch.
• Elect the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer of the Ulster Branch Committee.
• Appointment of an Auditor for the next succeeding year.
• Consider any resolution submitted in accordance with Section 25.
• Consider any other business at the discretion of the Chairman.

Gordon Reid
Hon Secretary

The latest regulations do not change social distancing. Clubs can currently offer outdoor training subject to restrictions, limited indoor training, and limited events.

The restrictions on school activity during certain times may vary and school clubs should check Department of Education and school guidance. The guidance in this update refers to sporting activity.

Currently, from 31 May:

• Activity for Elite athletes can continue as before. 
• The return to sport protocols put in place by sports governing bodies should be strictly adhered to including hygiene measures, social distancing and other mitigations.
• Any behaviour which may encourage the risk of transmission around sports activities, such as car sharing, should be avoided. 
• Clubs are expected to nominate a COVID Leader and to consider what sanctions can be imposed on any breaches of guidance.
• In guidance we need to wear a face covering where 2 metre social distance cannot be maintained, or 1m where not face to face in boats.
• indoor group exercise and training is allowed (numbers informed by venue) and the full return of outdoor sport (with no overall limit at outdoor sporting events from 5 July). A risk assessment is necessary for gatherings over 30 people outside, or over 15 inside.
• Limited use of indoor facilities associated with outdoor sport and events, is also allowed. (e.g. Briefing, and use of changing rooms).
• The organiser must also take all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus.
• A person responsible for organising a gathering must, if requested to do so by a relevant person, provide a copy of the risk assessment and an account of the reasonable measures taken
• Schools are permitted to join in events
• No limit on travel within NI to train or go to an event
• follow guidance for travel within the Common Travel Area.  Details are at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-travelling-within-common-travel-area
• contact details must be taken and retained
• competitive indoor sport is allowed (subject to risk assessment and appropriate mitigations). 
• We cannot police all this effectively alone, and need clubs to take responsibility. We hope that clubs will see this as realistic and manageable.

Is multi-household crew rowing allowed?

This is allowed now, as rowers are generally not face to face, and can remain a fixed distance apart in the boat. Just one protocol is now in place: In stern coxed boats if stroke and cox are from different households the cox is advised to wear a face covering and/or visor, when afloat. 

The latest regulations do not change social distancing. Clubs can currently offer outdoor training subject to restrictions, limited indoor training, and limited outdoor events.

The restrictions on school activity during certain times may vary and school clubs should check Department of Education and School guidance. The guidance in this update refers to sporting activity.

Currently, from 24 May

• Activity for elite athletes can continue as before. 
• The return to sport protocols put in place by sports governing bodies should be strictly adhered to including hygiene measures, social distancing and other mitigations.
• Any behaviour which may encourage the risk of transmission around sports activities, such as car sharing, should be avoided. 
• Clubs are expected to nominate a COVID leader and to consider what sanctions can be imposed on any breaches of guidance.
• Face coverings must be worn when 2 metre social distance cannot be maintained, or 1m when not face-to-face in boats.
• These protocols must be enforced by each club, which must take responsibility. It is hoped that clubs will see this as realistic and manageable.
• Indoor group exercise and training is allowed (numbers informed by venue) and the full return of outdoor sport (with an overall limit of 500 spectators, and 500 participants, at outdoor sporting events). A risk assessment is necessary for gatherings over 30 people outside, or over 15 inside.
• Limited use of indoor facilities associated with outdoor sport and events, is also allowed. (e.g. Briefing, and use of changing rooms).
• The organiser must also take all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus.
• A person responsible for organising a gathering must, if requested to do so by a relevant person, provide a copy of the risk assessment and an account of the reasonable measures taken.
• Schools are permitted to join in events.
• No limit on travel within NI to train or go to an event.
• contact details must be taken and retained.

From 31^st May:

An indicative date of 31 May has been set for the return of competitive indoor sport (subject to risk assessment and appropriate mitigations). 

When will multi-household crew rowing be allowed?

This is currently allowed, as rowers are generally not face to face, and can remain a fixed distance apart in the boat. Two protocols are necessary:

• Crew activity must be controlled so that the full crew moves together to maintain separation (so no part crew exercises where some are moving and some are not).
• In stern coxed boats if stroke and cox are from different households the cox must wear a face covering and a visor when afloat. 

Like other Branches of Rowing Ireland, we are working along with the Rowing Ireland COVID-19 working group to refresh protocols, educate members/clubs and as indicated by Sport Northern Ireland to consider sanctions in case of poor practice in clubs!  To explain… Indicative dates mean nothing until confirmed at an executive review. The next review will be after Easter.

What do the latest regulations say?

New regulations (Amendment 6) are now published and do not change Social Distancing. It has been said however that clubs can open outdoor facilities for limited exercise from 1 April.

What is the plan for easing of restrictions?

There are 2 infographics attached. The first shows preparation required for Stage 2, and the second shows the early parts of stage 2, which begins on 1st April.  Clubs should study these and use the information to help members understand the situation.

Are clubs allowed to open before 1 April?

No, unless they are offering purely activity for Elite athletes, as defined in the Travel regulations in 2020.

What changes from 1 April?

Phase 2 begins. There is no rush to open. When preparation is complete, clubs affiliated to the governing body can open their outside facilities.  The stay-at-home message becomes ‘stay local’, which allows you to travel to your local club, but with no car sharing. One group of up to 10 from max 2 households can use the club site, followed by another when they leave that part of site/go afloat etc. There will be no mixed household crews, and access is only for exercise. Indoor facilities all remain closed except for access to boats, and essential toilets. Activity for Elite athletes can continue as before. Hands- Face- Space and social distancing measures must remain fully in force. Sports clubs are very much in the spotlight as other sectors are not yet able to operate, so compliance is critical, and breaches will bring sport into disrepute and may lead to further restrictions. Clubs are expected to nominate a COVID Leader and to consider what sanctions can be imposed on any breaches of guidance.

What will Phase 2(a) allow?

This will allow a group (from affiliated clubs) of 15 adults (including coach) or several groups of juniors depending on age, but with groups not mixing. There is no household limit, but social distancing still applies, so no mixed household crews, and for training only. Indoor facilities all remain closed except for access to boats, and essential toilets. No car sharing, gatherings, socialising, parents hanging about etc. No group mixing, no inter-club or organised competition. Phase 2a has an indicative start date of 12 April, so this may change, but at least clubs can plan and risk assess.

When will multi-household crew rowing be allowed?

This depends on social distancing being downgraded from regulations to guidance, unless you can guarantee 2m distance between rowers at all times. If it becomes guidance, we can look at mitigations such as the full crew moving together at all times, PPE for coxes, or same household cox and adjacent rower, as we did before. There is no date or indicative Phase for any of these changes, but it is hoped there may be some progress during Phase 2b.

When will indoor training be allowed?

Phase 3 provisionally allows for indoor activity, but like Phase 2 it will be gradual and in stages, starting with small groups and socially distanced, before allowing bigger groups, more access, and limited competition.

When will outdoor competition be allowed?

Phase 2c provisionally allows for organised or inter-club competition, but with no spectators. Only participants and essential organisers will be allowed to attend, and numbers may be limited. There is no date for this.

Minutes are available in the download section below.

Full details of the measures will be published from 2nd January separately, but it is clear that Rowing facilities (indoor and outdoor) will remain closed.

Elite training and competition is allowed, and P.E. in or for schools is allowed.

Please read the full document carefully and consider how we can best keep people safe and act responsibly so that we help reduce the R number and secure an earlier return to normality.

Further updates will be issued as measures are clarified.

Please stay alert as it is possible that tighter measures will be announced.

This funding is administered by Sport NI with Rowing Ireland Ulster Branch ‘in conjunction with Rowing Ireland’, collating a submission on behalf of affiliated clubs in Northern Ireland.

You may have seen information from Sport NI that the overall Sports Sustainability Fund deadline is now extended until 4pm on 20th January 2021, so we have agreed a new return date for club submissions, which will allow clubs and the branch more time.

Club submissions should be made to ulsterbranch@rowingireland.ie between Jan 11th, and 4pm on 14th January.

We would ask that you provide the contact details of a lead and a reserve point of contact who will act for your club.

This will assist us to send any updates to the correct personnel. We have copied this update to those club contact details already received by us.

More Information: https://www.rowingireland.ie/sports-sustainability-fund-northern-ireland/