LOCAL CLUB SAILS AWAY WITH £245,000 SPORT ENGLAND GRANT
The Yorkshire Dales Watersports Partnership which runs the centre at Grimwith Reservoir near Grassington, has been awarded £245,000 by Sport England. This much needed grant is a lifeline for the club, which faces closure if new permanent facilities cannot be built.
The new centre is one of 35 community sport projects in Yorkshire and Humber which is benefiting from the investment of more than £7 million by Sport England in the region since 2006.
The new boathouse which will replace the current temporary structures, will be built from natural materials to blend into the picturesque landscape. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant centre will include; training area, fully equipped changing rooms, shelter for participants and spectators, refreshment facilities and secure storage for safety boats.
Mike Forster, honorary secretary of the Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club said; “Through fundraising efforts and the generosity of our benefactors, we have managed to raise £170,000. This award gives a huge boost to our fundraising efforts, but we are still some way off the estimated £500,000 required. The new centre is a great opportunity for us and the entire region; bringing us one step closer to becoming a RYA* accredited high performance training establishment and venue for national events.”
David Gent, regional director for Sport England Yorkshire said; "Grimwith Reservoir is a fantastic location for watersports and the Yorkshire Dales Watersports Partnership does a great job of coordinating windsurfing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking at the facility. I want to see even more people of all abilities - from novices to experts -doing watersports at Grimwith long into the future. That’s why Sport England is so pleased to be supporting the Partnership to build the new boathouse."
Donations to the fundraising campaign can be made through the club website at www.yorkshiredales.sc, or by contacting the secretary at Secretary@yorkshiredales.sc
For more information contact Caroline Gilbert at Sport England on 020 7273 1639 or email caroline.gilbert@sportengland.org
Note to Editors:
*The Royal Yachting Association - the UK’s national association for all forms of recreational and competitive boating, representing sailing, motorcruising, sportsboats, windsurfing, inland boating, powerboat racing and personal watercraft.
Sport England
Sport England is a non-departmental public body and National Lottery distributor. It is committed to creating a world leading community sports development system and increasing participation in sport.
Sport England has been a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting playing fields since August 1996. It objects to any application that is detrimental to sport, unless alternative provision of at least equivalent value is found elsewhere.
The Yorkshire Plan for Sport 2004-8 is a shared region-wide strategy to increase participation in sport by 1% each year and develop sporting talent. Its success relies upon implementation by a range of partners in Yorkshire and Humber.
The Yorkshire Dales Watersports Partnership
The Watersports Partnership consists of an amalgamation of three bodies.
1)The Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club; a Registered Charity which currently provides sailing and windsurfing facilities for a large variety of craft on the Reservoir – which is regarded by many as the best inland watersports location in the North of England.
2) Bewerley Park Centre for Outdoor Education; owned by North Yorkshire Education Authority and based in Pateley Bridge. They hold many residential and non-residential courses for adults and schoolchildren. Many of their watersports courses are held at Grimwith despite the current lack of facilities.
3) The GYBE scheme (Get Youth Boating in Education) is a voluntarily run organisation which offers youth groups taster sessions in both sailing and windsurfing with fully qualified Instructors. Many of these sessions take place at Grimwith and at minimal cost to cover wear and tear on all the equipment and protective clothing which is provided.
More details and contact information are available on the Club website: www.yorkshiredales.sc |
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