A ROWING club has pledged to persevere with its quest to improve facilities after being rejected for a game-changing grant.

Falcon Rowing and Canoe Club was denied a Sport England grant for the second time to replace its dilapidated boathouse.

Peter Travis, chairman of the East Oxford club, has spearheaded their long-fought fundraising battle to replace the facility.

He said: "The letter declining our bid affirmed that Sport England funds were overstretched and many other projects were of a very high standard and from areas of more intense need.

"Despite our efforts in the sporting arena we were never able to match-fund the cash on offer from Sport England so remained unable to demonstrate the level of local support needed to trigger its funding."

The club, based in Meadow Lane near Donnington Bridge, is Oxford’s oldest non-university rowing club.

Mr Travis, who thanked local funders including Oxford City Council, said some of the club's 450 members would meet to discuss the "setback".

He added: "The club has been in Oxford since Queen Victoria was on the throne and are we not going away. One day Oxford will get an improved public boathouse."

Funding body Sport England announced after the London Olympics that it would give £493m to grassroots sports between 2013 and 2017, but last year rejected the club's initial bid.