Round-the-clock row raises £10,300 for Hughes Hall’s new boat

Hughes Hall Boat Club held a 24-hour ergathon fundraiser to raise money for a new boat for the women’s team.

Held from 6pm on February 15 until 6pm the next day, current members, alumni, Hughes Hall staff and students took it in turns on a rowing machine.

They were joined by supporters on other machines in the same room and online. Olympic gold medal-winning rower Steve Trapmore, the former chief coach of Cambridge University Boat Club, even turned up in person to lend his support.

Anie Vasileva, the boat club’s communications officer – who organised the challenge alongside Lucy Rogers – said: “We were hoping to raise money for a new women’s boat because our current one is in a really bad condition and is basically falling apart.

“We also had loads of alumni join us from America and Australia on Zoom, and we livestreamed the whole thing on social media. We were hoping to raise £5,000 initially but then managed to raise £10,300, so we were very pleased.”

[Read more: Cambridge University Boat Club duo Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George earn Rowing World Cup gold, Cambridge law firm Mills & Reeve holds indoor charity rowing challenge]

Anie, who took the 2am-3am slot, added that the boat – an eight – has now been purchased and the club is due to receive it next month.