Active Thames Impact Report 2025
Introduction
Active Thames is a partnership programme supporting physical activity on the tidal Thames and inland waterways in London, Kent and Essex.
Launched in 2021 by the Port of London Authority, Active Thames is a key part of the commitment to the long-term development of the tidal Thames – Thames Vision.
Funding projects is a key part of Active Thames and is complemented by broader club and coach support; coaching workshops, 1:1 advice, forums, a monthly newsletter and an annual networking event.
This report outlines the impact of Active Thames funding during 2025. It builds on the reports of 2022, 2023 and 2024. It celebrates the achievements of clubs and reflects on the experiences of participants and coaches.
The following partners are working together to support growth, diversity and inclusion and to maximise the use of blue space in London, Kent and Essex:
Active Thames Pulse Workforce Survey, 2025
Clubs were invited to complete a Pulse survey, refreshing the insight gathered in 2021 that has shaped Active Thames to date.
The survey was designed to better understand the needs and challenges facing clubs and inform future funding decisions, training opportunities, and partnership support.
These insights directly informed priorities for the 2026 Active Thames funding round, with greater emphasis placed on workforce development, training opportunities, and projects that build organisational capacity.
The findings also shaped the theme of the 2025 Active Thames Hub, the annual event for watersports clubs, with presentations on safeguarding, marketing, communications and outreach.
Top challenges facing clubs:
2025 Impact
22 projects were awarded grants totalling £131,545.
3,539 people reached
1,490 sessions delivered
126 coaches developed
1. Brentford Boat Club
£8,464 funded six of the club’s young athletes to become fully qualified rowing coaches. Mentoring was delivered over a 10-month period, providing coach education specific to the tidal Thames. This project prioritised a high standard of coach development and created a clear, structured pathway for young people to step into coaching roles with confidence and professionalism. Several Junior Coaches are now delivering sessions, helping young people access the water and experience the benefits of sport.
“This pathway has been a journey of sharing growth, purpose, and a collective passion of the water. It has really helped me as an athlete, to shape other athletes into a strong and sustained connection with rowing... whilst building confidence and resilience along the way.” - Ruby Wright, Junior Coach
3. Welsh Harp Sailing Club
In 2024, a boost of £5,000 expanded the club’s work with local communities in Brent including Chalkhill Community Centre, the Well Well Project and an English language project called Utopia. The funding provided sailing taster days for 13 individuals, RYA courses for 12 people, and 10 concessionary year-long memberships. The project was able to engage with different communities, changing the perception of sailing as an elite and expensive sport.
“This course has helped me explore my abilities, be able to face challenges head-on and boost my confidence. Learning to sail was the best decision I have ever made.” - Participant
2. Team KEANE Sculling School
A grant of £6,440 delivered a 10-week multifaith project in partnership with Nishkam School and Green Dragon Primary School, supporting 139 young people - including SEN groups - to get out on the water. The programme offered rowing and canoeing sessions, and workshops in boatbuilding, teambuilding and cultural awareness. The project was designed to engage children and young people from communities facing socio-economic barriers, with the aim of increasing accessibility and inclusivity in watersports. A major success of the project was the growth in confidence and participation among young people – many arrived anxious, with no experience of the river environment - and progressed into steering their own boats by the end of the programme.
“I had never been to the river before or thought I’d be able to go on the water, but the Coaches made me feel safe and helped me. After the first outing I really looked forward to coming down to the river and going further in the boat." - Participant
4. Fulham Reach Boat Club
£15,000 supported another year of the State School Rowing Programme, providing rowing sessions for young people from Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea. By partnering with local schools, including Alternative Provisions such as Westside Academy, the programme reached students who might not ordinarily have had access to the river and a sport like rowing, and the majority were trying rowing for the very first time.
Funding provided rowing sessions, and it also provided coach development for nine people so that they could create a more inclusive environment and culture for SEND young people. Data from their 2024/25 impact report shows that participants demonstrated measurable improvements in teamwork, focus, confidence, and overall physical, social, and mental wellbeing.
“Rowing to me is like a gateway to peace. My safe place from all my worries and stress. I am able to switch off from the outside world, be present with nature, and appreciate my surroundings…I have been conquering my social fears and polishing my technique to the fullest whilst zipping through the Thames.” - Sacred Heart High School participant
5. Westminster Boating Base
An award of £5,000 funded membership costs for 52 young people, six school taster sessions, and a free family-friendly open day. It also supported 29 individuals through RYA and British Canoeing coaching awards. In total, 198 people got out onto the River Thames in an accessible, affordable way. During the school sessions, participants visibly grew in confidence. Participants also got a glimpse into careers on the river through seeing young instructors in action.
“Our instructor did an amazing job showing us the basics of sailing. Super-helpful and knowledgeable. We are signing up today!” - Open Day participant
6. Islington Boat Club
An award of £7,460 funded the Paddle Angel project, providing fully subsided sessions for 22 vulnerable people in Islington who had experienced mental health challenges, poverty, and addiction. They were identified by a partner organisation, Better Lives. The project had four strands: skill-building paddleboard sessions for vulnerable groups, free paddleboarding sessions fostering a strong cohort built on community inclusion, litter picking excursions, and improving equipment. A total of 103 people benefitted from the project.
“One of our female clients said she felt there was no value in her life whatsoever. I persuaded her to come to a Paddle Angel session … after the first session she thought “there is a chance for me.” She went on to do rehab, which before she’d declined. I think this is an incredible testament for what Islington Boat club have done.’ - Better Lives educator
7. West Reservoir Centre
A grant of £4,884 supported the centre’s local Youth Access Improvement Project. The award helped engage 221 local young people, especially those who might not normally find activities affordable, to take part in sessions on West Reservoir. The project delivered school taster sessions, a Watersports Open Day, beginner kayaking and sailing courses, and 16 annual memberships at the Youth Club.
“I used to think that sailing was something that was really difficult to learn and only a select amount of people could learn it, but once I learnt it I realised it’s really easy - if more people spread the word about it more people could learn how to do it.” - Sara, aged 13
8. Restorative Justice for All
£5,000 funded the Sailing 2 Cohesion project, supporting 89 individuals overall. The grant provided sailing, walking, and cycling and covered the costs of producing a short video which demonstrates the impact of the project. One of the key successes was the positive impact it had on the confidence of participants and volunteers, particularly through sailing and cycling.
“I feel a sense of accomplishment after every session – feeling like I’m proud of myself for learning new things and being brave.” - Trys
9. Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre
£3,500 helped fund the Disability Watersports Programme for young people aged 8–21. The programme increased access to a variety of watersports to enhance health, wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem, to develop problem-solving skills, and to build resilience as young people took risks and conquered their fears on the water in a protected and supportive environment. The organisation’s heavily subsidised activities ensured that children and young people in need had access to watersports throughout the year.
“How can I become an Instructor so I can do this every day?” - Eva, participant.
10. AHOY Centre
A new sport arrived on the Thames in West London via Fulham Reach Boat Club: beach sprint rowing. A form of coastal rowing, beach sprints require skills in sprinting on land and turning the boat quickly around buoys on the water. It is a relatively new sport that will feature in the 2028 Olympics. With their funding of £4,074, Fulham Reach Boat Club launched taster sessions for this sport, as well as sliding-seat rowing, reaching adults with little or no rowing experience.
“It’s important to have representation in sailing because it gives people from all over role models to look up to. People who look like them, sound like them, people that they can really connect with and get inspired by.” - Trainee
12. Curlew Rowing Club
A grant of £5,000 expanded access to rowing, particularly in Newham and Barking and Dagenham. Funding subsidised the cost of taster sessions, enhanced the club’s hardship fund, and provided free and discounted spots on their Learn to Row programme. This doubled the annual sessions offered and made rowing more affordable and inclusive through removing financial barriers. The grant also supported the development of two new volunteer coaches, who both participated in British Rowing coaching courses, and gained hands-on leadership experience throughout the Learn to Row programme.
“Overall, the course has strengthened my rowing ability, resilience, and confidence in learning new skills.” - Lauren Whitestone
11. Isle of Dogs Sea Cadet Unit
£4,500 was awarded to support the Cadet Legacy Programme. The Unit built and continued a legacy programme to support Cadets who wanted to become Instructors in RYA windsurfing and RYA sailing. The funding paid the wages of young legacy coaches to teach new Cadets, delivering 25 sessions which reached a total of 32 Cadets. It also funded external training for Cadets, including additional RYA courses and regional Class Association training.
“The programme has given my daughter the opportunity to stay physically active while engaging in an amazing watersport – something that is a true luxury in London. Beyond the sport itself, she has formed meaningful connections with her peers outside of school, which has helped her grow socially in a completely different environment.” - Parent of participant
13. Greenwich UK Parkinson’s Support Group
A grant of £1,760 funded the delivery of a rowing programme at the Olympic Park Watersports pontoon for 20 people living with Parkinson’s Disease and their carers/partners. Providing opportunities for people with Parkinson’s to be active in a supportive, non-judgemental environment also helped to address social isolation. Under the guidance of coaches from London Youth Rowing, the project has grown from a walking group to on-water sessions, expanding opportunities and horizons. One of the participants is an experienced rower and, as a result of being involved in Rock n Row for Parkinson’s, completed his Level 2 British Rowing Coach course.
“Parkinson’s disease tends to make your world smaller, both for those living with it and their partners. The rowing helps to make the world bigger. You meet other people and you get to row in a pretty special place.” - Participant
14. The Line
£5,000 enhanced training and skills of Youth Guides, offering a first experience of employment for young people from East London. Through the programme participants built their confidence, public speaking and leadership skills, and increased their employability. The grant helped to fund training and employment, and enabled collaboration with Cody Dock, the Royal Docks, and the University of East London. The project culminated in a workshop combining art and nature, fostering cohesion between the Youth Guides and strengthening their connection to the waterways. The Youth Guides 2025 programme supported and empowered 24 young people aged 18-22, and connected almost 1,000 members of the public to East London’s waterways and public art.
“This is a great opportunity to improve my public speaking skills and build my interpersonal skills.” - Youth Guide
15. Women in Tri UK
£3,870 supported accessible, safe, structured open water swimming lessons for 92 women at the Royal Victoria Dock. Active Thames supported their aim of making open water swimming accessible, inclusive and affordable through removing financial barriers to access, and having positive female role models employed as coaches. The funding went towards coaching costs, essential open water equipment, and costs associated with the venue and safety memberships.
“I had never joined my local triathlon group because I feared not being good enough. Since joining Women in Tri UK, I have taken part in open water swimming in incredibly positive and open environments. I even completed my first triathlon after just one session and placed 3rd in my age group.” - Participant
16. Re-Instate
Re-Instate is a charity working to improve employment opportunities, quality of life, and well-being for people in the London Borough of Bexley, including people experiencing mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, and people with autism. They were awarded £5,000 to support 55 individuals and 278 sessions through their Living Active programme, a walking and educational project using walks as a starting point to create an arts project tracking the Thames Path through the seasons. This culminated in an exhibition held at Re-Instate Community Hub in Autumn 2025, and included photographs, paintings, drawings, collages, and poetry.
“It feels good to pick up the litter and keeping the area clean.” - Sam O
17. Erith Yacht Club
Erith Yacht Club is a volunteer-led club that aims to encourage sailing in an affordable and supportive environment. The club received an award of £3,700 to purchase 35 new spray tops and trousers in various sizes.
The kit helped increase the number of local young people from all backgrounds who participated in sailing by keeping costs down for families.
“Thank you so much for instilling in me more confidence into sailing. It was such a positive experience, and I have learnt so much.” - BG, participant
18. Age UK Kent Rivers
£3,500 supported two Gravesend walking groups, benefitting a total of 364 individuals. The first group was aimed at people from the local area of Northwest Kent, in particular older people and those with limited mobility, who want to get out and walk for exercise and social interaction but might need the extra encouragement that a group offers. The second group was for adults with learning disabilities and their support workers to explore the landmarks along the Thames Path.
“It’s great to feel a part of something again, but this time it is a social thing, and it’s great to get out in the fresh air.” - Participant
19. Medway Sports Team
£5,000 funded the Riverfront Community Fitness and Wellbeing project, supporting 88 individuals to get active across 26 unique sessions. The project promoted health, fitness, and social cohesion among the diverse Medway community by delivering fitness sessions along the river as well as monthly kayaking sessions. The funding was allocated to coaching fees, qualifications for assistant coaches, kayaking sessions, and equipment.
“As a beginner in tennis I was worried that I would not be ok, but Katie and her team made me feel very welcome. Over the weeks I went there, I was amazed by how much fitter I got and how many new skills I learned … Thanks to the cardio, my confidence grew and I finally had the courage to join the school tennis club.” - Kian, age 12
20. Cake Club
£5,000 enabled Cake Club to deliver weekly Walk and Talk sessions along the Thames. Delivered in Essex, the walks were aimed at parents and carers, predominantly women in the perinatal period, helping them get active in the local area and supporting their mental health and wellbeing. Some of the funding was also allocated towards running ‘Cake Club on the Beach’ and ‘Cake Club in the Park’ sessions, which took their regular parenting support and playgroup sessions outside while incorporating a walk, and some sports day-style activities for under-5s and their parents. A total of 277 individuals were supported, with 92% of people reporting an improvement in their emotional wellbeing, demonstrating the powerful impact that this project has on families.
“Sometimes I find taking both kids out to places by myself difficult. And having you guys there felt like a safe place that I could let the kids explore the activities you had set out and know they were safe and happy.” - S, Parent of two
21. Seaquins Westcliff
An award of £4,950 supported Seaquins Westcliff to deliver a walking programme designed to address the unique needs of minority ethnic communities in Westcliff, with a particular focus on girls from Orthodox Jewish communities. The weekly groups were tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the girls as they explored various waterways in Essex. The project promoted physical and mental health, facilitated community integration, challenged stereotypes, and empowered young women.
"As a teenager in a new town, I felt invisible. These walks created a bridge; I didn’t just meet new friends, I found a community where I can be myself without judgement.” - Participant
22. Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS)
SAVS brought several clubs together to bid for Active Thames funding, engaging Southend residents with the River Thames. £20,000 supported six different types of sports, provided coach development for several clubs, and culminated in subsidised “Active Southend-on-Thames” event days where members of the public could try a new activity under the guidance of experienced instructors. Overall, 964 unique individuals were reached across 125 sessions.
“They have allowed my children to experience activities they wouldn’t normally have access to or afford.” - Parent of a participant in Blue Therapy Active sessions
Delayed Delivery:
Grants were also made to Leaside Trust and Phoenix Canoe Club, but unforeseen delays mean these projects will be delivered in 2026.
Participant Survey Feedback
In 2025 we piloted a participant survey. A total of 94 participants completed pre- and post-programme surveys, enabling us to track individual-level change across key outcomes. Results show a clear and significant positive impact across wellbeing, water confidence, and community connection.
The strongest improvements are seen in personal wellbeing, particularly in happiness, life satisfaction, and a stronger sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Participants also reported meaningful gains in confidence and resilience, including increased water confidence and greater engagement in physical activity.
There were notable improvements in feelings of belonging, trust, and social connection within their communities.
Collectively, the results highlight a strong and consistent pattern of positive change across almost all measures, reflecting how club programmes and engaging in blue space improve wellbeing, water confidence, and social connection.
Workforce Development
Workforce development (training for coaches, volunteers, and administrators) remained a key priority in 2025, particularly as the Pulse Survey identified coaching capacity as a significant barrier to growth.
Almost 70% of projects delivered in 2025 included an element of workforce development, helping clubs strengthen their coaching and volunteer capacity. In total, 126 coaches and volunteers gained new qualifications or skills. Club feedback shows that funding is supporting the long-term sustainability and resilience of the watersports sector.
Examples include:
Delivered 16 in-house training sessions and four external courses to develop six junior coaches aged 15-17.
The programme included essential aspects of coaching; safety both on and off the water, local and greater navigational knowledge, participant safeguarding and welfare, and experience working with school groups. Through this pathway, junior coaches were able to promote safe and enjoyable access to sport on the river, and it increased Brentford Boat Club’s workforce by 150%, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the club.
12 young people successfully passed their RYA Dinghy Instructor course.
Over the past three years, Active Thames has invested £35,884 in the Urban Winds Project, a collaborative instructor-training programme, delivered by the AHOY Centre, Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre, and partner clubs across East London. In 2025, the project was facilitated by The AHOY Centre, where 12 young people successfully passed their RYA Dinghy Instructor course. Each centre was provided with more qualified instructors, enabling them to deliver a wider range of activities and engage more of the next generation of sailors and potential future instructors. Whether or not graduates of the programme go on to have lasting careers in sailing or on the river, they left equipped with lifelong skills and confidence in their abilities.
Five legacy coaches received training.
The Isle of Dogs Sea Cadet Unit has built a legacy programme to help cadets gain enough experience to complete kayaking and RYA Courses. Five legacy coaches received training to be able to deliver sessions at the Royal Victoria Docks and the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre. The cadets then went on to become RYA Instructors in windsurfing, dinghy and keelboat sailing and are working towards becoming Kayak Instructors. Crucially, this project also reported an increase in both physical and mental health for both the cadets - and for the Legacy Cadets.
Challenges
The most frequently reported challenges to delivery were:
- Participant recruitment and retention
- Scheduling and availability constraints
- Staffing and volunteering capacity
- External environmental factors such as poor weather, algae blooms or tidal conditions
Marketing
The Active Thames partnership works with Played, an all-in-one booking and management platform designed for community sport organisations.
Played helps clubs promote their sessions, manage bookings, and handle payments in a simple and accessible way. Through the use of Open Data, the platform also enables activities to be shared more widely across national sport and physical activity listings, helping clubs reach new audiences.
Played provides tailored 1:1 support to organisations that may be unfamiliar with digital booking systems, helping them overcome technical barriers and improve access to their sessions. The platform is part of the national OpenActive movement, which aims to make it easier for people to discover and participate in local sport and physical activity opportunities.
As part of their grant agreements, funded organisations are encouraged to publish their sessions and share activity data, making it easier for communities to discover opportunities to get active on the water. In 2025, there was a continued increase in uptake with Played overall.
Over 1,664 activities were published to the platform, which is a 54% increase in engagement from 2024. 49 organisations published opportunities on the finder, a significant step towards being more digitally inclusive and raising awareness of watersports amongst a wider and more diverse audience.
+1,664 activities were published on the platform
54% increase in engagement from 2024
49 organisations published opportunities on the finder
Active Thames to date
In 2021, baseline research estimated that participation in Thames-based activity was around 40% female, with just 5% of participants from minority ethnic backgrounds. Through funding projects that target underrepresented communities, Active Thames has played a key role in broadening access and inclusion to the Thames and inland waterways, ensuring that they are accessible for all. Active Thames is not an add-on, but a core part of the PLA’s mission as a trust port, embedding social value into the long-term future of the Thames.
Between 2021 and 2025, 64 projects were awarded grants totalling £560,922.
Comment from Robin Mortimer
“We are passionate about seeing more people actively and safely enjoying the tidal Thames and all its connected waterways and about making sure that opportunities are available across the diverse communities we serve. It is a core part of the PLA’s mission as a trust port and we are really pleased to see the impact the Active Thames programme is having, whether that’s people enjoying the river for the first time, or supporting pathways into coaching."
- Robin Mortimer, Chief Executive, Port of London Authority
© 2026 Active Thames