Rutland Sailability club purchases new rigid safety boat after £23,000 grant

A new boat was launched at Rutland Sailability last week by the High Sheriff of Rutland, Margaret Miles. The purchase of the rigid inflated safety boat, along with a launch and recovery vehicle, was made possible by a £23,400 grant from the LEADER funding programme managed by Opportunity Peterborough with support from Rutland County Council. On Thursdays and Saturday mornings Rutland Sailability enables 200 disabled and able-bodied sailing enthusiasts to share the sport using more than 20 specially adapted boats to cater for people of all abilities. High Sheriff of Rutland, Margaret Miles, posing with the RIB with a number of the club's volunteersHigh Sheriff of Rutland, Margaret Miles, posing with the RIB with a number of the club's volunteers The club is run entirely by its 200 regular members, about half of which are disabled, and welcomes hundreds of visitors each year. They volunteer their time on and off the water to run the club and provide hands-on support to more novice sailors. The club ensures that everyone who wants to sail does, and would like to bring in more volunteers to meet growing customer demand. Sarah Forsyth, a volunteer at Rutland Sailability said: “We attract people from as far afield as Ireland, Scotland and Yorkshire who want to benefit from our facilities, so the addition of the RIB and launch and recovery vehicle has been a huge boost. It doesn’t matter what disability someone has, we will always find a way to get them onto the water. “We are completely reliant on our volunteers to make sure our members and visitors have unforgettable experiences. These new pieces of equipment mean we can help more people sail at any one time and develop their passion for the sport.” Rutland Sailability hosts a number of activities for groups including the Parents’ Association for Seriously Ill Children, Grantham Disabled Children’s Charity and students completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The club is a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Sailability Centre of Excellence, and advises other clubs on how to run successful centres. The Rutland-based club also helped train athletes ahead of the Invictus Games. Tom Hennessey, chief executive ofOpportunity Peterborough which was responsible for providing the grant, has said: “The geographical pull of Rutland Sailability is spectacular and we hope that more people can volunteer their time to support the club. High Sheriff of Rutland, Margaret Miles, met with some of the sailing club's volunteersHigh Sheriff of Rutland, Margaret Miles, met with some of the sailing club's volunteers “Their services are in such high demand and this brings a lot of footfall to the region, boosting the economy.” The LEADER funding programme, managed by Opportunity Peterborough, is part of the Rural Development Programme for England and provides funding at a local level. The £1.3 million funding programme helps projects which contribute to rural tourism, support small businesses or provide a rural, cultural or heritage service. Councillor Oliver Hemsley, Leader of Rutland County Council said: “As a keen sailor myself I know all about the passion and commitment of Rutland Sailability’s volunteers. The team is absolutely committed to removing any and all barriers to sailing.”