DURHAM Amateur Rowing Club launched its new boat yesterday.

The "racing four" boat, paid for with a £10,000 grant from Banks Developments, was launched into the River Wear from the clubhouse, in Green Lane, in Durham.

Members hope the boat and their clubhouse, opened last year following a £1m fundraising campaign, will help its crews to achieve further success in future regattas.

Club secretary Barry Hudson said: "The boats we have are well-used and are beginning to suffer from wear and tear - and, as we now have fantastic new boathouse facilities, we wanted to find funding to enable us to bring in boats that would do them justice and give our crews a competitive advantage."

The new boat will be available to all the club's oarsmen and women, but will be mainly used by the senior coxed men's four.

Banks Developments, which paid for the boat through its Community Fund, is seeking permission to build houses and offices at Elvet Waterside, near to the clubhouse, and a major business park on Durham's Mount Oswald golf course.

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at Banks, said: "As well as achieving competitive success on the water, Durham Amateur Rowing Club also makes a positive impact on the local communities in which it works, and we hope that the new boats acts as a catalyst for further achievements of both types in the future."

Any groups looking for funding from Banks Community Fund is asked to call Christina Rackley on 0191-383-0055.