Cambridge University Boat Club: 2026 Pulling Together

This year’s campaign champions the 2026 students through the Pulling Together Fund, our year‑round regular giving programme that fuels the Club’s six core priorities. During the 2026 month of giving, each of our four squads will also be working towards ambitious targets that directly strengthen their performance, experience, and opportunity.

Carrying the Legacy Forward: A Call to Support Squad-specific Goals

We invite our community to support the following priorities which will sustain and advance each squad’s performance. To support a specific project, simply select the squad under 'designation' after clicking 'Give Now.'

Men: Funding is needed for the 2026 Head of the Charles campaign and for specialised coaching in the lead‑up to this year’s Boat Race. We are deeply grateful to the members of the 1986 Blue Boat for generously funding the new men’s eight, and to the donor whose gift has underwritten the 2026 Fixture Series.

Women: We aim to raise £60,000 to fund a new eight for use in the 2026-28 Women’s Boat Races, including the Centenary Race, as well as in three further Blondie v Osiris contests. Thanks to a generous donor, once we reach 75 supporters for this project, an additional £10,000 will be unlocked. Every gift, large or small, will help us reach this milestone. We are also grateful to the supporter whose generosity has underwritten the 2026 Fixture Series.

Lightweight Men: Our goal is to raise £60,000 to fund a new eight, to be ordered in spring 2026, for use in the 2027–33 Lightweight Men’s Boat Races. This investment will ensure the men's lightweight squad has the highest‑quality equipment to support and sustain our position as a leading international lightweight programme. We are also thankful to the donor whose generosity has made the lightweight four’s entry at the Head of the Charles 2026 possible.

Lightweight Women: Specialised coaching is vital to sustaining the strong development pathway that underpins the recent success of the lightweight women’s squad. Every contribution will help ensure that our lightweight athletes, many of whom first learned to row at their colleges, have the coaching, support, and resources they need to excel. We also extend our thanks to the donor who has kindly supported the lightweight four’s entry at the 2026 Head of the Charles.

Along with squad goals we aim to fund:

Alongside our squad‑specific goals, this campaign will also support the following key needs across the Club:

Parents & Families: This year's parent and family project aims to provide hot meals and drinks during winter training, as well as fund a sorely needed second‑hand minibus.

Club-wide: Across the wider Club, we seek to purchase ten new ergs, strengthen our summer campaign support, including Henley, Women’s Henley, BUCS, and National Schools, and maintain essential strength and conditioning provision.

Why does CUBC need your support?

Preparing six race-ready crews every year is an extraordinary undertaking. Behind every rower is a demanding schedule of training, specialist coaching, high‑performance equipment, and extensive travel. This investment is met through a combination of contributions:

• Approximately £1,000 from each students themselves, often supported by their colleges
• 25% from corporate partnerships secured through our work with The Boat Race Company
• 10% from the University
• 50% through the generosity of our alumni, parents, and supporters

Your support is the crucial bridge that transforms ambition into reality.

Yet your gift to CUBC is far more than just financial support. It’s an investment in the current generation of Cambridge rowers, ensuring that talent and determination - not financial barriers - define who competes for us. Your donation also strengthens our development programme, giving College rowers high-performance experience they may not otherwise have.

Most importantly, you’re enriching the entire Cambridge experience for our student‑athletes, building resilience, leadership, and friendships that last far beyond their time on the river.

Every gift matters. Every gift makes a difference. And every gift is deeply appreciated.

What Is This Year’s Goal?

Pulling Together 2026 is all about participation and collective impact. Last year, an incredible 350 donors supported the campaign. This year, we’re inviting our whole community - alumni, parents, friends, and supporters - to come together once again.

Can we match it? Can we surpass it? With your help, we believe we can. That's why we're increase our goal to 400 donors this year!

We welcome gifts of every size, and recurring donations are especially powerful, providing essential sustaining support. Each gift shows our student‑athletes that they are backed by a strong and dedicated community.

Join us for Pulling Together 2026!