Mark Davies, Chair British Rowing
Channel: RowingChat
Date: 08/03/2020

Mark is nearly two years into his job as Chair and gives a frank interview covering the challenges facing the sport domestically and internationally.  

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Timestamps to the show
03:15 Background in rowing
09:08 Funding presents challenging changes for sport. It costs more to run a sport than you get from membership fees
10:30 Rising costs from governance and safeguarding. 
11:55 Mark's vision for British Rowing - a stable financial position.  After London 2012 British Rowing had  over £9m in reserves and this is now less than £3m.  Priority is to balance the budget.
15:40 there are 33,000 members white a 10,000 annual churn. but 700,000 people in UK use an ergo each month.
21:40 British Rowing Charitable Foundation launched November 2019
Friends of British Rowing link on website https://www.britishrowing.org/join-support/ To join as a Friend of BR: https://friends.britishrowing.org
26:00 Shape Rowing's future - meeting in Birmingham 19 April. The decision making structure needs addressing.  We need to speak to people in a less defensive and more human way.
35:00 BR owned events - the Awards, Indoor Championships. Principle of subsidiarity - decisions taken at the lowest possible level.
40:00 British Rowing Awards are 21st March the eve of the HORR.
53:40 Does the points system discourage club rowing?  It does not - but the system is under review at the end of this season.
55:00 Qualification for the Olympics - we have done well. Final trials is next weekend.
58:00 FISA changes - lightweights will go out of the Olympic programme and in Paris 2024 there will be fewer athletes by 350 and an increase in the number of sports.  Coastal rowing is likely to be introduced.  The size of our community - social media followers for example matter to the IOC.
1:01:00 A Passporting System - Users would get a British Rowing card to demonstrate your skill and  competence when visiting another club.