Coaches at Queen Elizabeth High School Rowing Club retire

Pauline and Geoff Higgins first began helping out 31 years ago when their son began rowing with the club, with Pauline managing it since 2003 after former coach Chris Grabham left.

"We didn't know what was going to happen to the club," said Pauline, who taught at the school until she retired 12 years ago. "I said I would take it on to keep it going, but didn't really have much idea about rowing particularly - I wasn't a coach, I hadn't rowed myself.

"My youngest son, who had also got into rowing at school, was just finishing university and he came back home and he came with me to coach. He coached for a number of years to put that input in."

The rowing club - which is financially independent of the school - has a long-established excellent reputation, and welcomes youngsters who want to row either socially or competitively.

Geoff and Pauline with National Singles Sculls Champion Nick Ryan and Silver Medallists in J18 Pairs Tom Smith and Tom Archer.

It is one of only 23 state school rowing clubs in the country, and offers the largest junior programme in the North of England.

"We focus a lot on participation, so it doesn't matter what the child's ability or what their desire is, we accommodate that," said Geoff.

The pair, who live just outside of Wark, said they have found coaching their many students very rewarding.

"That's the thing that has kept us going and that's the thing that has made it hard to retire," said Pauline. 

"The enjoyment that the kids get from it and the development that they make while they're with us at the club and the changes that you see in them, but also the comments from parents. 

"The number of comments we've had about what rowing's done for their child and what sort of person it has made them and how they've grown in confidence from being members of the club, all of that is fantastic.

"When it comes down to it, it's being with the kids. We're both teachers, we've both spent all our lives with teenagers, and it's about continuing that without being in the classroom - the really nice bits!"

The club has grown substantially over the years, particularly since Geoff became more involved when he retired from teaching around seven years ago.

When Pauline first took over the running of the club, there were around 30 members.

There are now around 100, but there have been as many as 126 members at one point.

In 2012, Pauline received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Award for going the extra mile as a teacher and coach.

Pauline being presented to the Queen after receiving the Jubilee Medal from British Rowing for her contribution to Junior Rowing.

And last year, both Pauline and Geoff received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sport Tynedale West Northumberland Sports Awards.

"It was such an honour to receive it," said Pauline.

On their decision to leave, Pauline said: "We're just getting too old and retirement is supposed to be a little time to yourselves and it hasn't been!

"We said several years ago that we were going to retire and then there hasn't been anybody to take over, and we've just continued and continued.

"It got to the point this year when we thought we're going to have to be a bit more serious about this.

"We're finding it harder ourselves - the early mornings when we're going away to events and you're up at 4.30am, it's difficult."

Geoff added: "We're down at the river 4/5 times a week, but outside that, I can go down to the river two whole days a week just working on boats, and then there's all the paperwork side that Pauline has to do."

They also have a newborn granddaughter, and are needing to spend more time with Pauline's mother.

"It was getting to the point when we thought how are we going to do everything that we need to do?" said Pauline. "Something had to give."

The pair marked their retirement with a staff leaving do at the school and at their annual club end-of-year BBQ, which Pauline described as "very emotional".

Captains Ned Gibbard, Ben Ryrie, Zara Holtham and Christian Ryan presenting Geoff and Pauline with two loungers at the end of the BBQ - now that they think they will have time to sit on them!

The school's executive headteacher Graeme Atkins said: "It is difficult to do full justice to the amazing contribution Pauline and Geoff have made to QEHS over so many years through their leadership of our highly successful rowing club.

"Their willingness to devote so much of their lives to the many young people who have progressed through the club has been hugely impressive and they leave a wonderful legacy.

"All of us at QEHS wish them a healthy, happy and thoroughly well-deserved rowing club retirement.”

Parent Liane Atkin said: "We know that Pauline and Geoff have given such a huge time commitment as volunteers which will be hard to follow. 

"The club does an amazing job and has been fantastic in so many ways for my daughter in terms of friendships, fitness, social mix, confidence and focus."

PE teacher Paul Gaines now becomes club leader, supported by Pamela Walton as lead coach and a team of parent volunteers. Additional coaches are to be recruited over the summer, the school has said.