Page 9 - RVC4Life - Alumni making a difference

RVC BOAT CLUB MEET ‘EDNEY’ !
The RVC Boat Club was founded nearly 60 years ago and has over 140 members who regularly participate in races. The
Club has an amazing tradition of including those students who are completely new to the sport which is why they enjoy such a high membership.FortheCollege,sports make an invaluable contribution to the health and wellbeing of students who are often working under a lot of pressure.
With at least one of their boats being out of action at any one time, it was continually proving difficult to provide regular training opportunities for team members to reach their true potential in races. The Club had been fundraising for many years with the ultimate goal of purchasing a much needed new boat, but £10,000 was a huge challenge, especially whilst juggling the training as well as their studies! Any monies raised were always urgently needed for repairs to existing boats so saving for a new one was really difficult.
But earlier this year, all that changed.
The RVC SU approached the fundraising team at the beginning of the year with a one-time opportunity. They proposed to contribute to the cost of a boat, allowing the Club, for the first time, to consider the possibility of being able to buy a brand new boat! Sarah Storrs, RVC Boat Club Captain, began the search and was put in touch with the Head Coach of Eton’s boat club. They were part of a scheme where lightly-used boats were traded in for the latest model and as luck would have it, a boat was being traded in which fitted the RVCBC spec – a boat that could be used by both the men’s and women’s crews.
The Club had raised over £2,000 themselves and with the SU’s contribution the club were still £8,000 short.
Due to a generous gift left in his will by RVC alumnus Andrew Thomas Edney (1958), the RVC Alumni Fund was able to help and provided the balance needed to buy the boat. Andrew Edney was a keen supporter of the RVC and its students, was
a member of the former RVC Graduates Association and a familiar face at many RVC reunions or events. His career as a vet was 50 years long!
“I’m so pleased – our new boat arrived last weekend and we’ve called him Edney in his honour. It had its maiden voyage yesterday and was an absolute dream! We are over the moon. Thank you so much for helping us make this happen!”
Sarah Storrs
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