COOMB PAFFORD SPECIAL SCHOOL

Coomb Pafford Special School contacted the RYA Foundation Trust in August 2016 when one of their regular funding partners dropped out. They were looking for funds to pay for accommodation for a group of pupils with moderate learning difficulties and Autism to attend a sailing course at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. The Trust approved a payment of £943.92 and the children attended the Academy in September.

“The children all got involved and had a great time. The teachers reported that one of the youngsters, who seldom speaks in school, was talking lots to the instructor”.

COWES SAILABILITY

In February 2016 Cowes Sailability successfully applied to the Foundation Trust for a grant of £500 to run two free open days to give local people with disabilities the opportunity to get onto the water and try boating. As well as providing an opportunity to introduce more people to the sport of boating the days were also designed to promote the work of Cowes Sailability and increase membership to ensure long term sustainability of the club.

“Our guys came home all very excited and happy, those who are verbal requested on many occasions to go again or asked when they could go again. Our non-verbal guys came home full of smiles and happy. They all have photos from the day and all have these photos up in their bedrooms, often talking about the day when any staff go into their rooms”.

EAST LANCASHIRE SAILING CLUB

The RYA Foundation Trust awarded East Lancashire Sailing Club £3,500 towards the cost of purchasing a Hansa 303 dinghy, designed for use by disabled sailors. This has allowed them to include more people in their sailing activities both for recreational sailing and for racing.

“The Hansa 303 has allowed our club members with health issues to continue their enjoyment of the sport in a boat which they can sail without fear of capsize”.

HELFORD RIVER CHILDREN’S SAILING TRUST

In March 2016 the RYA Foundation Trust were delighted to be able to support the Helford River Children’s Sailing Trust (HRCST) by approving their grant application for £4,000. HRCST offers sailing and rowing to children from deprived rural areas and from special needs/disability groups.

“When I first got in the boat I was frightened, then I got used to it – especially when I was allowed to take over the sails (I’d never been in a boat before)”.

“We have seen a real change in the attitudes and personalities of the children that have come to us for self-improvement, whether that be through the medium of sailing or kayaking or even just being outside in nature and going in the water for the first time (a big step for some!)”.

“We put the emphasis on appropriate and mutually beneficial social interaction as those are skills sorely lacking in other aspects of the children’s lives. The first time a student goes out of their depth and trusts their buoyancy aid to hold them up or when a child runs to help another are just as important milestones as dry capsizing in a steep swell”.

SAIL BOAT PROJECT

The Sail Boat Project works with a range or organisations in the south to provide sailing opportunities to disadvantaged and disabled people. These groups include: The Migrant English Project which provides English classes to refugees; Brighton Unemployed Children’s and Family Project; Sailing Forward – Recovery Sails which works alongside marginalised young people to help them break away from cycles of hopelessness and low self-esteem and Dementia Sails who work with people living with dementia. In June Sail Boat Project applied to the RYA Foundation Trust for help after they were offered the free use of a 43 foot yacht which would help them increase capacity and reduce costs. In order to take up this offer Sail Boat Project needed to purchase additional safety gear to comply with the coding requirements of a commercial vessel. The Foundation were happy to support this with a grant of £2,970.

“We all had to work together as a team, look out for each other, it was amazing! I want to help out with maintenance”

“I discovered things about myself that I never knew. I never thought I would have an opportunity like this and I now see how I can use this trip as part of my recovery programme”.

“We had to pick up a mooring buoy, and there was only one chance to do it, with a boathook, and it took hand-eye co-ordination and that was something I learnt that I could do”.

POOLE SAILABILITY

In March 2017 the Foundation awarded £956 to Poole Sailability to provide First Aid and Safety Boat training. Poole Sailability brings together people with disability and impaired health from the East Dorset area. They currently have over 35 volunteers and run two sailing sessions each week during their sailing season. The Foundation grant enabled them to train 16 volunteers in the RYA First Aid Course and 12 volunteers received Safety Boat Training.

“With so many demands on the limited resources of the charity, the grant from the RYA Foundation ensured that our volunteer helpers were suitably trained and certified to support our disabled sailors”.

COVENHAM SAILABILITY

In September 2016 The Foundation were approached by Covenham Sailability who were looking for £2,100 towards the purchase another Drascombe Boat to increase their fleet. Covenham Sailability work with 8 groups with sensory and learning disabilities where their focus is on teamwork; confidence building; trust; parts of the boat and how to work together and use the equipment. Their sailors all work towards the Sailability Certificate of Achievement Awards. Grant has meant that they have been able to purchase this second boat and as a result have been able to extend the length and frequency of sessions so their sailors have progressed further in improving their confidence and ability on the water.

BRADING HAVEN YACHT CLUB

In November 2016 Brading Haven Yacht Club applied to the Foundation for £2,770 to help cover the costs of refurbishing their disabled toilet. This grant was awarded and the Yacht Club now has a fantastic new ‘wet room’ facility including disabled shower.