ROWING is making a difference to children's lives in Warrington.

More than 100 youngsters are learning to row as part of the school curriculum thanks to an innovative scheme at Warrington Youth Rowing.

One school has fed back that the sessions are 'improving pupils’ attendance, academic attainment and behaviour.'

Students from eight of the town's schools leave the classroom behind once a week to have a two-hour session on the River Mersey instead.

Until 2016, none of the schools involved - Beamont Collegiate Academy, Sir Thomas Boteler, Birchwood Community, Bridgewater High, Cardinal Newman High, Culcheth High, Penketh High and University Academy Warrington - had rowing on their curriculum.

That changed after Ben Dunne, principal at Penketh High, and Richard Sinnott, of Warrington Rowing Club, hatched a plan to offer the sport to children who might not otherwise have the chance to experience it.

Their ambitions coincided with initiatives being devised by British Rowing and the Stewards’ Charitable Trust (SCT).

These ideas fermented into reality and in September, 2016, Phil Lyons began a two-year term as a SCT coach based at Warrington Rowing Club.

A year later the scheme expanded, with Sinnott joining on a full-time basis as chairman of Warrington Youth Rowing (WYR) - which has since been registered as a charity and is actively seeking further funding.

So how does it work?

The schools deliver their pupils to Warrington Rowing Club's Howley base for a two-hour slot, with a staff member staying on site.

These slots are during the school day and an obvious attraction for the pupils, with the choice being two hours’ rowing or two hours of studying!

Warrington Rowing Club benefits from a fee for each pupil and the activity happens outside of normal club hours so it is a win-win situation.

“We get some really heart-warming responses and we’ve had some amazing feedback,” said Sinnott.

“One kid’s mum said she couldn’t believe how much his confidence had grown since he started rowing.

“At the wash-up meeting last year, one of the schools said the scheme is improving pupils’ attendance, academic attainment and behaviour.”

Pupils from the eight schools are enjoying their opportunity to learn to row and some are taking it further.

After holding an indoor rowing regatta at Warrington Rowing Club, in March the eight best juniors headed to the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London to compete at NJRIC, the biggest junior indoor rowing event in the country.

Sinnott said: “Some of the kids had never been on a train or to London so it was quite a thing.

"Pupils from four different schools went down and they were virtually strangers at the start, but they all bonded and were the best of mates on the way back.”

One junior, Elle Kadir, won a bronze medal in the year nine girls’ race, coming third out of 214 competitors.

The Culcheth High 14-year-old said: “This opportunity has given me the chance to do a sport I never thought I’d do and compete in London.

"I love rowing now. It has given me confidence and helped me get fit. Thank you to WYR for giving me a chance and taking the time to teach me.”