Sailing club feeling buoyant after £5,000 boost

A SAILING club is feeling buoyant after receiving a £5,000 cash boost to help more disabled people get into sport. The Jumbles Sailing Club was one of only five sports clubs in the UK to receive the £5,000 bursary. The club, which is based in Jumbles Country Park, Edgworth, secured the money as part of the BT 25th Birthday Bursary, a fund of £25,000 given out by BT to celebrate the British Paralympic Association’s 25th anniversary. The £5,000 bursary will be used to purchase a new boat, in order to provide local people with more opportunities to get out on the water and enjoy sailing. In recognition of its good work, the club was recently accredited for Sailability, the Royal Yachting Association’s scheme for disabled people. Vic Buckley, the Jumbles’ Sailability champion, said: ”We are committed to helping disabled people to enjoy sailing and were thrilled to receive this bursary, which will enable us to buy a specially adapted boat that will give complete control to people with a range of disabilities.” Previously, the club has borrowed fully accessible boats to give disabled people the chance to try sailing, which has proved such a hit there is currently a waiting list for potential new members. Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of the British Paralympic Association, said: “I am delighted to see that Jumbles Sailing Club will benefit from the BT 25th Birthday Bursary with this award. It is fantastic to see how the money will be used to increase the opportunities and resources available in their community. “It is a fitting way to mark both our 25th anniversary year and our long-term partnership with BT and The Telegraph, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their ongoing support.” Entries were judged by a panel that featured BT’s group marketing and brand director Suzi Williams, Paralympian Nathan Stephens, comedian and Channel 4 presenter Adam Hills and the Telegraph’s Gareth A Davies.