Concept 2 today joined forces with the Tony Blair Sports Foundation in an innovative indoor rowing project that will engage more than 70,000 children in 250 schools in its first year.

Pupils in the North East will have new opportunities to develop healthy habits and receive specialist coaching in competitive sport, thanks to the new foundation, which was launched today.

The Tony Blair Sports Foundation will increase participation in sport by young people, particularly those who are currently socially excluded, by inspiring more adults to become trained coaches; by providing access to high quality nationally-accredited training for those we recruit; and by helping to match coaches with the schools and sports clubs which need them.

The partnership with Concept2 underlines the Foundation's commitment to the development of a culture of Wellbeing in schools, and the wider community. Indoor rowing is one of four sports on which the foundation will initially focus. The others are tennis, athletics and football.

Tony Blair was joined at the launch by such inspirational sporting figures as Olympic athlete Steve Cram, Great Run supremo Brendan Foster, and Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell.

Cracknell unveiled the first project that will be delivered by the Tony Blair Sports Foundation in partnership with Concept2: a new indoor rowing challenge for the 31 School Sport Partnerships in the North East, starting in Sedgefield.

He said: "The partnership between the Tony Blair Sports Foundation and Concept2 has the potential to make a real impact on the lives of young people. As far as I am concerned, the more children we can introduce to indoor rowing, the better. It will give them the chance to have fun, get fit, and find out what they can achieve when they put their minds to it."

Concept2, the world's biggest distributors of rowing machines, will provide the equipment and link with local business to train volunteers to coach within schools. The project underlines that Indoor rowing is a modern sport that offers people of all ages and abilities the chance to adopt a healthy, active, lifestyle.

Tony Blair said: "The North East gave me the chance to get on and make a contribution to our country. I want to continue to repay that confidence by giving kids the chance to be inspired by competitive sport; to give adults the chance to feel that unmistakable pride that comes from seeing their hard work turned into a child’s winning smile.

"I'm delighted one of the first projects we are able to support is indoor rowing, which is an excellent gateway sport to increase fitness for people of all ages."

Mr Blair was briefed by the Concept2 team, led by John Wilson, who successfully coached both Oxford and Cambridge in the University Boat race, and triple world champion Tom Kay.

Concept2 managing director Ian Wilson summed up: "We see this as a hugely significant initiative. It enables us to build on our experiences of using indoor rowing to make a real difference to the fitness levels of young children, indeed individuals of all ages and abilities."