Cowes Sailability Club provided 870 places for accessible boating and sailing activities during 2022
2022 was an incredibly successful year for Cowes Sailability Club. Thanks to funding from several grant-awarding bodies, corporate sponsors and donors, as well as the support of a committed team of volunteers, the charity was able to make a total of 870 places available for people to enjoy accessible sailing and boating activities.
- 447 of the places were enjoyed by people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or debilitating long-term medical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.
- 190 of the places were taken up by children and young adults under the age of 25, including young people with severe physical disabilities, hearing or sight loss, learning disabilities and autism.
- 143 places were allocated to disabled people over the age of 65, many of whom have felt isolated since the lockdowns and long periods of self-isolation necessitated by COVID-19.
- 111 of the places benefited adults and children on the Isle of Wight who use wheelchairs, giving them a rare opportunity to enjoy an adventurous, outdoor activity.
- 423 places were made available to carers and family members so that disabled islanders could share the experience and have a fun day out with someone familiar to them.
“Cowes Sailability Club’s mission is to put smiles on faces,” says the charity’s Vice Commodore Stephen Skipper. “We certainly achieved that this year! We made a record number of places available to children and adults on the Isle of Wight, including those with a wide range of complex, challenging and often debilitating conditions, enabling them to have exciting and memorable experiences along with their carers or family members.
“As a wheelchair user myself, I know how incredibly rewarding accessible boat trips can be for people with disabilities of all kinds,” Stephen adds. “Being able to go on the water, experience the excitement of speeding through the waves and learn new skills really lifts the spirits and improves mental health. I’m absolutely delighted that Cowes Sailability Club has been able to give so many more islanders the opportunity to benefit from accessible boating and sailing this year.”
During the course of the year, Cowes Sailability Club facilitated a variety of trips for groups of disabled people and their carers or families on a range of different boats. These include the club’s own Drascombe sailing boats, two wheelchair-accessible motorboats (operated by Wetwheels Hamble and Wetwheels Solent) and a 34-foot sailing yacht owned by the Disabled Sailors’ Association. Cowes Sailability Club offers weekly sailing activities from May to September, alongside special events, such as its annual Cowes Week trips, and activities for schools and groups.
Cowes Sailability Club would like to say a huge thank you to all of the sponsors, grant-awarding bodies and other donors who provided financial support during 2022. They include: Carisbrooke Shipping, Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club, Cowes Town Council, Daisie Rich Trust, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF), Isle of Wight High Sheriff’s Trust, Little Britain Challenge Cup, Magic Little Grant, McCarthy & Booker, Medina Yacht Club, National Lottery, Royal Southern Yacht Club, Waitrose and Wight Escapes.