presented by Royal Chester RC to the British Rowing Conference 2013 explaining how the club was able to overcome falling enrolments and become financially viable again.

1. Royal Chester Rowing Club
RCRC Captain: Michal Palamarczuk
RCRC
The Groves CHESTER CH1 9YX

2. The Vision and the Journey
 Inheritance Historical Heritage
 Vision New Club--New Members
 People Members--Volunteers
 Activities Athletic/ Business/ Collective
 Development Proactive Solutions
Quote from Keith Osbourne:
We are not a Rowing Club, but a group of Rowing Societies
sharing facilities! 2007

3. Royal Chester Boathouse built in 1878: Pictured in 2006
Where were we?

4. TRAINING ROOM DOUBLES FOR
SOCIAL EVENTS

6. CREATING A VISION BEFORE COMMITING
OBSERVE & SHADOW THE MANAGEMENT
HOW TO CREATE TRUST OF MEMBERS?
WHAT COULD EXCITE THE MEMEBERS?
WHO TO ASK FOR ADVICE?
WHAT PROJECTS NEED ACTIVATING?
WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM?
WHERE TO START?
TRUST OR VISION?
Royal Chester Rowing Club

7. Royal Chester Rowing Club
TAKING ON THE ROLE 2007
 CREATE A PROJECT
 SET A TIME LINE
 ACTIVATE
 COMPLETE
 WHO WAS TESTING WHO?
 Trust begins.........

8. Royal Chester Rowing Club
 1ST PROJECT
PAINTING THE GATES
 2ND PROJECT
NEW PONTOON
 3rd PROJECT
BUILDING THE TEAM
 WHY PAINT THE
GATES?
 BIG EXPENSE
REQUIRED FINANCE
ENGINEERING
AND VOLUNTEERS.

9. ASKING MEMBERS TO ASSIST.
WHO VOLUNTEERS?
WHO SAYS YES BUT DOES NOT
DELIVER!
YOU DO NEED A TEAM!
Royal Chester Rowing Club

10. Royal Chester Rowing Club
 THE VISION 2008/9
 PHASE A--------NEW CLUB HOUSE!
Fresh eyes and different approach. Continue Developing
Trust.
 PHASE B--------INCREASE MEMBERSHIP
Learn to Row Summer School Marketing
Know your product and engage all with enthusiasm.
Steve Fairbairn: An exposure of Errors of ‘Orthodoxy’
Change with the TIMES.

11. Royal Chester Rowing Club
PEOPLE:
CRISIS OR DISTRACTIONS 2009
JUNIOR COACH RESIGNS WITH A WEEKENDS
NOTICE!!
PANIC!!
NO
AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE AND ADD VALUE.
And so it continues.........the barriers just need clearing.

12. Royal Chester Rowing Club
2009
 VISION CHANGES WITH ADDED OBJECTIVES
 EXTERNAL INVOLVEMENTS
 SUPPORTING LOCAL CHARITIES
 FUNDING ROUTES
 EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS
 SOCIAL EVENTS
 COMMITED COMMITTEE
 CLUB MEMBERS ACTIVELY INVOLVED
 RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS

13. Royal Chester Rowing Club
STARTING TO BUZZ
 BECOMING MORE THAN A SOCIETAL
 BECOMING ROWING CLUB
 LEAD BY:
ROWING AND ACHIEVING
COACHING
THINKING SMALL BUSINESS
PROFFESIONAL CLUB
HAVE EMPATHY YET STRONG
CREATING A STRONGER FOUNDATION

14. Royal Chester Rowing Club
ATHLETIC
 SENIOR MEN AND WOMEN
 MASTERS MEN AND WOMEN
 JUNIOR SQUADS FROM 12 TO 17
 SCHOOL INTERREACTION
 OPEN DOOR AS A NEW SPORT
 LEARN TO ROW
 TIMETABLED TRAINING PLANS
 BOAT UTILISATION
 NEW RESISTANCE TRAINING GYM

15. Royal Chester Rowing Club
BUSINESS
 CLUB DEVELOPMENT
 4 Working Groups as Steering committee:
 Project Group
 Marketing Group
 Funding and Business Plan Group
 Partnership Group
Comprised of professionals and members RCRC
20 STRONG

16. Royal Chester Rowing Club
DEVELOPMENT PLANS
 The VISION................ gaining momentum
 RCRC have signed a 5 year option with Dee Valley
Water on a 1.3 hectare site at Huntington, away from
the congestion of the lower river.
 A STRONG COMMITTED PLATFORM FOR RCRC
FUTURE.

17. Royal Chester Water Sports
Centre
Artists Impression of how the club could look

18. Royal Chester Community Water & Sports
Centre
Design Options

19. Royal Chester Rowing Club
CLUB ACTIVITIES TO UNITE
3 DAY ROWING WEST TO EAST CALEDONIAN
THAMES CHALLENGE
JUNIOR ROWING SUMMER SCHOOL 100 plus
JUNIOR LEADERS ASSIST
MAINTENANCE DAYS
MARATHON ROWING ON THE DEE
GARDEN PARTIES/ WINE EVENINGS
CYCLING DAYS

20. Royal Chester Rowing Club
WAS THIS EASY?
 CONFRONTATION IN ANY AVENUE IS
UNAVOIDABLE!
 FACE THE ISSUES
 DISCUSS OPENLY AND CREATE SOLUTIONS
 COMMUNICATE BETWEEN ALL
 LISTEN
 REACT

21. Royal Chester Rowing Club
MEMBERSHIP UP IN EVERY SECTOR
NOW 300 PLUS
OVERSUBSCRIBED WITH JUNIOR ROWERS
HELPS GROSVENOR ESTABLISH ITS OWN
JUNIOR SECTION
COMMUNICATING WITH CHESTER UNIVERSITY
DAY TIME ROWING/SCHOOLS
/CORPORATE/VISITORS
LADIES WHO ROW AND LUNCH

22.  Engaging with partners and user
organisations
 Working parties formed for funding,
business planning. marketing, project
management
 Establishing a viable financial plan
including options for current site
 Seeking planning permission and
undertaking preliminaries
Chester Water Sports Centre
The next steps a possible
crossroads?

23. Royal Chester Rowing Club
THANK
YOU
K I S S

24. K KEEP
I IT
S SIMPLE and
S SAFE
Royal Chester Rowing Club

25. RCRC Captain: Michal Palamarczuk
michal@palamarczuk.co.uk
RCRC Steering Group Contacts:
Chair: John Hinnigan
jdh@hinnigan.com
07966646407
www.royalchesterrowingclub.co.uk