Vandal-hit rowing club names new boats after donors

Club captain Stewart Plant christened the new boats in a special ceremony on Sunday

A historic rowing club which last year suffered an act of vandalism, causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage, is celebrating a change in fortunes by officially naming its new boats.

In February 2024, a boat at Ironbridge Rowing Club, based in Shropshire's Ironbridge Gorge, was torn from its racking and smashed on the floor.

A fundraiser collected £5,000, with further donations and funding allowing the club to purchase three new vessels - which were christened on Sunday.

"We had just a small amount of fizz poured over the bows - you definitely don't smash the bottle over them," said club chair Gail Thomas. "It was a fantastic day."

The club used the money raised to buy a new lightweight double scull but also secured matched funding from the Rowing Foundation to buy two single sculls for use by lightweight junior members.

The club was able to buy three new boats thanks to a fundraiser and a grant

Much of the money was raised by local residents and businesses, including Dale End Cafe, The Toy Box, The Butchers Bar and Merrythought Bears, which was reflected in the club's choice of names for the new boats.

"The new double scull will be called The Gorge in recognition of all the people and businesses who donated to making the purchase happen," said Stewart Plant, the club captain.

"At the same time, it is wonderful to recognise the support that Merrythought has given the club over the years by naming the first of our new cadet sculls Merrythought.

The other single scull was named Sunnyside by the junior squad.

"The yellow canvas not only makes the boat look like a sunny side up egg," explained Mr Plant, "but also after the area of Coalbrookdale known as Sunniside Avenue that used to look down on our former majestic neighbours, the Ironbridge power station."

Founded in 1870, the club is known for running one of the oldest rowing races in the West Midlands, the Ironbridge Weekend Regatta, which this year will be held on the weekend of 28 and 29 June.

The boats' names were chosen to reflect the local area