Sport & Physical Activity Education & Young People 2023
London Youth Rowing

The Social Impact of the LYR Active Row Programme

London Youth Rowing's Active Row programme delivers school rowing to 110+ state secondary schools, focusing on pupil premium cohorts. This independent social impact study, carried out by State of Life using HM Treasury Green Book methodology, assessed data from Active Row London participants between 2017 and 2022. It found significant improvements across all ONS wellbeing measures, a £40 return for every £1 invested, and outsized benefits for those from ethnic minority backgrounds (4x peers) and those eligible for Free School Meals (3x peers), demonstrating rowing as a powerful tool for levelling up through sport.

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📋About

School-based indoor rowing clubs in winter; on-water rowing in summer; regular in-person and online competitions; free equipment and coaching to 110+ state secondary schools; teacher training for sustainable long-term delivery Custom geography from upload: UK (with programmes in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Gravesend and Nottingham)

📊Key Metrics

£40 of social value generated for every £1 invested in Active Row (HM Treasury Green Book methodology) Key Metric 1
4,422 participants across all 2022 programmes; 41% from minority ethnic backgrounds, 15% with SEND Key Metric 2
Young people eligible for Free School Meals gained 3x the wellbeing benefit of peers; those from ethnic minority backgrounds gained 4x Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • Active Row participants showed 4.6–6.2% improvements across all ONS wellbeing measures (life satisfaction, happiness, sense of worthwhile life) compared to non-participating peers
  • Wellbeing benefits valued at £6,000 per person per year — twice the expected value from general physical activity participation
  • Young people participating weekly for 12+ months showed 8.62% increase in life satisfaction vs 0.47% for those participating up to 2 months

📍Geography

London, Other

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