Communities Minister joins Olympic Champion Hannah Scott at Bann Rowing Club for boat launch

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Olympic Medallist, Hannah Scott, MBE unveiling a boat named in her honour.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons joined Olympic Gold Medallist Hannah Scott, MBE at Bann Rowing Club in Coleraine to mark the official launch of a new boat funded through the Department for Communities’ Olympic Medallist Fund.

Following her triumph at the Paris Olympic Games last year, Scott was awarded £20,000 through the Fund — an initiative recognising the success of Northern Ireland’s Olympic medallists and enabling them to reinvest in their local sports communities.

Scott chose to donate her award to Bann Rowing Club, which used the funding to purchase two single scull boats and a safety boat.

The Minister attended the boat-naming ceremony, where one of the new vessels was officially named after Hannah herself.

“It is a privilege to join Hannah as she launches a boat, proudly bearing her own name, here at her local club,” said Minister Lyons.

“Hannah’s Olympic Gold stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment, talent and hard work, a journey which started here at Bann Rowing Club and was supported through the dedication of her coaches and teammates who have helped nurture her exceptional talent.”

Highlighting his Department’s continuing commitment to sport at every level, the Minister added:

“Hannah’s performances on the world stage were one of the reasons I was determined to support grassroots clubs like this one through the Olympic Medallist Fund, giving those medal winners the opportunity to give back to where their sporting journeys began.

“Through the recently launched Olympic Legacy Fund, I have made a further £1 million of funding available to support initiatives to increase participation at grassroots levels for all sports, with investment to enhance facilities and provide essential equipment.”

Sport NI Interim Chief Executive Richard Archibald said the event underlined the crucial role of local sports clubs in nurturing future champions.

“Seeing Hannah here at her local club really highlights the impact sports clubs across Northern Ireland have on our young sportspeople. They play an instrumental role in the development of our athletes, providing opportunities, support and guidance.

“At Sport NI, we are proud to have worked with our Paris Olympic medallists to deliver this funding to their chosen clubs and organisations in recognition of the role they have played in their journey to an Olympic medal.

“Our medallists are an inspiration to young people within their communities and thanks to the Olympic Medallist Fund these organisations can now support the next generation of sporting talent to achieve their potential.”

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Olympic Gold Medallist Hannah Scott, MBE and Richard Archibald, Interim CEO of Sport NI are put through their paces on the River Bann by members of Bann Rowing Club.

Reflecting on the significance of giving back to her home club, Hannah Scott MBE said she was proud to reinvest in the place where her Olympic journey began.

“I was honoured to pass the Olympic Medallist Fund onto Bann Rowing Club as it’s where I grew up and learnt my sporting values. It was my dream to reach the Olympics and not only have I lived my dream, I fulfilled it thanks to the grassroots support of Bann Rowing Club, the amazing volunteers and coaches.

“The amount of athletes that have come out of the club is extraordinary and it deserves this investment because of how much it has given to rowing but taken so little back.

“Also, there is a brilliant cross community relationship within rowing. We have a very successful Rowing Ireland and GB Rowing teams which both benefit from Bann Rowing Club and this money will ensure more people can access the sport for those two teams to be represented by NI athletes.

“Thank you to the Minister for this funding which will hopefully open up the pathway for more young people in the future to participate in sport.”

For more information on how sports clubs can apply for the Olympic Legacy Fund, visit www.sportni.net/olympic-legacy-fund.