Bradford Amateur Rowing Club (BARC) celebrated the completion of the first phase of their development project at the weekend.

Improvements to their facilities and the expansion of their fleet was made possible thanks to grants from Sport England and WREN (Waste Recycling Environ-mental Ltd).

Following a three-year grant application and planning process, the official opening of the new BARC boatshed and the naming of the new boats was finally held on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Invited guests and members, accompanied by family and friends, arrived to bucks fizz and canapés on the President’s Lawn, the smell of a freshly-lit captain’s barbecue and some beautifully demonstrated sculling by past and present junior girls.

Club president Richard Phillips then carried out his official ceremonial duties of declaring the boatshed “well and truly open!”

The Barry Wood Boatshed honours a man who has dedicated much of his life to Bradford Amateur Rowing Club, both on and off the water, including being club secretary and a past president.

He now takes care of all the day-to-day behind-the-scenes work as facilities manager, without which the club would not function quite as well as it does.

Club captain Celia Hickson and rowing development manager Julia Markham then proudly named and christened the new boats.

The Sport England grant was offered specifically to fund boats for women and juniors and to work towards participation in this area.

In honour of all the hard work and effort Markham has put in over the last few years, and for the countless hours spent working on the grant application, the new women’s eight now deservingly bears her name.

As the man who dedicates so much of his time, enthusiasm and experience to the club’s fast growing junior section, Hugh Scott now has a new quad proudly named after him.

The remaining boats were named following numerous suggestions from club members, following the River Aire theme, and are as follows: Dancing on Aire, Extra-ordinnaire, Aire-Stream, My Faire Lady, Aire-Crew, Thundaire, Yorkshaire, Oh Y’Aire, Salt & Peppaire.

Two recently acquired men’s boats were also named: Aire Heads, Atlantaire.

As well as improved facilities and new boats, the funding was also offered to support an increase in the number of qualified coaches and the club and a number of members have already benefited from this.