Grant helps military families to join in sailing activities

A Plymouth sailing club has become the first organisation in the city to receive a Community Covenant grant of almost £30,000, from the Ministry of Defence, following a successful bid supported by Plymouth Armed Forces Community Covenant and Plymouth City Council.

Plymouth Youth Sailing will use the money to run a programme of RYA OnBoard watersports activities aimed at further integrating service personnel and their families into the local community.

Plymouth Youth Sailing is a young peoples’ water sports club providing a broad range of boating activities and running the RYA OnBoard scheme that introduces children of all backgrounds and abilities to sailing.

The Community Covenant project will give young people from military families the opportunity to participate in the club’s activities alongside young people from non-military backgrounds. The club is also offering regular volunteering opportunities for military personnel and their families so that they, too, can become involved in this exciting project.

Stuart Jones, secretary of the club and RYA OnBoard Officer, said: “The aim is to run a sailing club for young people to learn and socialise together regardless of background, using the commonality of learning to sail to break down barriers and prejudices.

“The young people will take part in an learn-to-sail programme and, then carry on at the sailing club and take part in all the club’s programmes. At the same time, we will encourage the parents of the young people to become volunteers in the club, running a training programme for them leading to qualifications."

There will be an open day at the club, which is based at the Mount Batten Centre, on Saturday 23 March. Youngsters and their families will be able to see the club, meet members, volunteers and representatives from HMS Heroes as well as Naval Personnel and Family Services, look at the range of equipment (including six Topper dinghies purchased with some of the grant money) and, weather permitting, go afloat.

Councillor Pauline Murphy, Chair of the Plymouth Armed Forces Community Covenant Steering Group, said: “The Council supported this bid because we felt it got to the very heart of what the Armed Forces Community Covenant is all about – giving Forces families another exciting, fun and healthy way to help them integrate into the local community. Young people and their parents will have the chance to join a friendly and active group in the community that is also very ‘Plymouth’. How many cities have the privilege of sailing clubs on their doorstep and what better way to make friends than messing about on the water!”

The first sailing sessions will start this Easter.

For more information about RYA OnBoard, visit www.ruob.co.uk.