Welfare

Do you have a concern?

Need someone to listen?

Talk to your Club Welfare Officers!

Cambridge ‘99 Rowing Club believes that all participants in rowing have the right to safely enjoy the sport of rowing and be treated with respect. At Nines, we value enjoyment, commitment, respect and our community. We all row because we enjoy it and we ask our members to avoid making the club atmosphere unenjoyable for other members.

When you become a member or you are the parent/carer of a junior member, you will be bound by both the British Rowing’s Code of Conduct and the club’s Code of Conduct.

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the wellbeing of our members, volunteers, and, where possible, the rowing community at large. We adhere to the policies and procedures relating to Child Protection and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults as set out by British Rowing, and require all members to accept them as a condition of membership. We do not tolerate any form of bullying or abuse.

Club Welfare Officers

Tamzin Byrne (they/them) and Alex Penkul (he/him) are the Club Welfare Officers.

Chrysa Litina (she/her) is a Club Director and has oversight of welfare and safeguarding.

Katy Mackenzie (she/her) is Lead Coach for the Junior Squad and is a key contact for safeguarding of children.

The CWOs are a listening ear for anyone who needs it. We also work to promote good welfare and support all club leaders to create a safe and welcoming environment. One of our primary responsibilities is to ensure good safeguarding for children and vulnerable adults, and to receive any concerns about bullying, disclosures, or safeguarding matters.

You can reach us to ask for support, to share ideas to improve welfare, or to raise a concern via welfare@cambridge99.org - or catch us around the boathouse.

Key policies and procedures

Cambridge 99s is governed by British Rowing, and we follow their Code of Conduct and policies on safeguarding, disciplinary, and whistleblowing.

The club also maintains its own policies on welfare and conduct.

How to report a concern

Cambridge 99

You can report any concerns to welfare@cambridge99.org.

You can also directly contact any of our welfare officers - our contact details are displayed at the boathouse, or you can email us to request a private phone call. We are also at the boathouse regularly through the week if you'd rather catch us in person.

Concerns can also be raised through a captain, director, coach or committee member of the club.

British Rowing

You can report a concern directly to British Rowing.

This reporting system is for everyone (clubs, individuals, competitions or third parties) who need to report a safety incident or concern.

You will find details to make a safeguarding referral or to raise a formal grievance about behaviour which breaches the Code of Conduct which governs the sport of rowing.

Cambridgeshire Safeguarding

You can report concerns to Cambridgeshire local authorities via their online reporting forms for professionals and members of the public.

They also provide resources for understanding different types of abuse and how to spot the signs that a child or a vulnerable adult may need support.

Find support

Beyond the club, there are many sources of support for anyone struggling or who has a concern about a child or vulnerable adult.

British Rowing Lead Safeguarding Officer: LSO@britishrowing.org
NSPCC Child Protection: 0800 800 5000, cpsu@nspcc.org.uk
Childline: 08000 1111, www.childline.org
Centre 33: Cambridge-based support for young people
https://www.centre33.org.uk/
Ann Craft Trust Support Line: 01708 765 200, www.supportline.org.uk
CEOP: www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Mind: www.mind.org.uk

Workshops and training

We host regular workshops for coaches, Club Welfare Officers and any leaders in sports clubs. These workshops are delivered by accredited professionals, including Living Sport and UK Coaching.

If you're keen to join one of our workshops, please email welfare@cambridge99.org

Upcoming workshops:

UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children - June/July 2026
UK Coaching Time to Listen workshop for Club Welfare Officers - Aug/Sept 2026
UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children for Young Coaches (for coaches aged 16-17) - Sept/Oct 2026

Past workshops:

UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children: 2 February 2025
UK Coaching Time to Listen (for Club Welfare Officers): 20 August 2025

Inclusion and access to facilities

We acknowledge that our facilities and activities can be inaccessible, in particular for:

people with mobility limitations
transgender and gender nonconforming people
people who struggle with loud, busy environments
people with intellectual and learning disabilities

The two key limitations of our site are that access to our building is via a metal spiral staircase, and we do not have accessible or gender neutral bathrooms and changing facilities.

We would love to welcome the widest range of people, however, we are limited by the structure of our building. Though we have plans for redevelopment, we are stuck with what we have for now! We have good relationships with other clubs and can arrange access to more suitable facilities and equipment as required.

We are happy to arrange a visit or a call to describe our facilities, our equipment, and our training environments in the hopes of finding ways for everyone to enjoy rowing.

Page updated

Report abuse