​Charity attempting to restore Katherine Grainger's former rowing home awarded Heritage Lottery Fund cash

A Glasgow charity has secured a £1.2m grant to redevelop a historic boathouse in the city used by Olympic gold medal-winner Katherine Grainger.

Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT) was awarded the cash by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to save the Category B listed West Boathouse on Glasgow Green.

The trust is working with volunteers from two historic rowing clubs to develop proposals to repair and adapt the timber-framed building on the banks of the Clyde.

Built in 1905 the boathouse has been the home to Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club and Clyde Amateur Rowing Club ever since.

We are excited to see plans to reanimate this part of the Clyde, sharing and celebrating its fascinating history

With total project costs of £2.4m identified, GBPT will spend the next year developing the proposals and raising the remaining funding before starting work in 2018, with completion anticipated in 2019.

The trust has secured development funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund, Glasgow City Council and Commonwealth Games legacy project Spirit of Calton. Historic Environment Scotland have also awarded a building repair grant towards the eligible repair costs and a public crowdfunding appeal on the MyPark Scotland website raised £5,378 with donations received from as far away as New Zealand and Texas.

“We are thrilled that the Heritage Lottery Fund have given their support to this unique project,” Murray Shaw, chair of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, said.

“Once completed, we expect the West Boathouse will serve the users of Glasgow Green and wider community groups in the future, as well as it has served the rowing clubs in the past.

“We look forward to working with the volunteers of the two rowing clubs and local groups to ensure this project is a success.”

As well as 2012 Olympic champion Grainger, who is also a four-time Olympic silver medallist, three-time world champion Peter Haining, Olympic medallists Gillian Lindsay, Polly Swann and Karen Bennett have all rowed out of the famous boathouse.

The project will promote the sporting and built heritage of the site getting more people using the building and enjoying being out on the river.

Lucy Casot, head of HLF in Scotland, said: “We’re delighted that thanks to National Lottery players, we can give our initial support to a project which will bring to life a building with a great sporting history while helping rowers today by providing modern new facilities.

“The West Boathouse has been a feature of Glasgow Green for over 100 years so we are excited to see plans to reanimate this part of the Clyde, sharing and celebrating its fascinating history with the local community.”

Deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, councillor Archie Graham OBE, added: “The West Boathouse is a valuable part of Glasgow’s rich sporting heritage and I’m delighted it now has a viable future, thanks to this funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.”