Active Row Life Skills

Life Skills at LYR

At LYR, we believe sport is about far more than physical activity. It is an opportunity for young people to develop the skills, confidence and self-belief they need to thrive in all aspects of life.

Our Life Skills programme is embedded across all Active Row programmes, using rowing and water sports as a vehicle for personal development. Through practical activities, challenges and reflection, young people build essential skills including teamwork, leadership, problem solving, creativity, adaptability and planning.

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The programme is built around the Skills Builder Framework, a globally recognised approach to developing essential essential skills. In partnership with Skills Builder, we adapt resources and activities to create engaging, hands-on experiences that are directly connected to rowing, paddle sports and life on the water.

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Bringing Life Skills to life

Life Skills is not delivered as a standalone programme – it is woven throughout everything we do.

Every Active Row session has a Life Skill attached to it, helping young people make clear connections between what they are doing on the water and the skills they are developing. Each half term focuses on a specific skill in greater depth, with targeted activities, challenges and reflection designed to help young people understand how it applies across different areas of their lives.

Alongside regular sessions, we host Life Skills Workshops each half term, bringing together young people and our corporate partners. These sessions give professionals from a range of industries the opportunity to share how skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership and problem solving are used in their workplaces and careers.

Through practical activities and group challenges, young people explore how the skills developed through rowing and water sports can support their future education, employment and career pathways. They then apply these skills on the water, working together in team challenges and friendly competition.

The Life Skills framework also supports development within LYR itself, helping staff reflect on and strengthen the same core skills we encourage in young people.

If your organisation is interested in supporting a Life Skills Workshop, sharing industry expertise or helping inspire the next generation, we would love to hear from you.

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Our Purpose

Life Skills sits at the heart of LYR’s purpose: to provide young people with the opportunities, life skills and sense of belonging that rowing and water sports provide.

Our approach is guided by our promise:
Be Curious. Be Brave. Be Yourself.

We encourage young people to try new things, ask questions and explore their potential. We support them to step outside their comfort zones, build confidence through challenge and develop the courage to take on new experiences. Above all, we create environments where young people feel valued, included and able to be themselves.

By combining sport with structured personal development, the Life Skills programme helps young people recognise their strengths, broaden their aspirations and build the confidence to thrive in education, employment and life.