Six elderly residents of an island care home were among those who enjoyed a free trip down the River Medina during Riverfest 2017.
Cowes Sailability Club attended the Isle of Wight Riverfest 2017 event and offered free boating trips for people with disabilities or poor mobility, their families and carers. Over 40 people enjoyed gentle cruises down the River Medina, including a group of six elderly and infirm care home residents, two of whom were wheelchair users.
“With ‘Dougal’ our wheelchair-accessible motor catamaran, we can truly make the beautiful river environment available for everyone to enjoy, no matter what their disability or however limited their mobility,” says Paul Wilks, Vice Commodore of Cowes Sailability Club. “We ran six trips during the course of the event and helped to give lots of island residents and their families a very special day out.”
This is the fourth year running that Cowes Sailability Club has participated in Riverfest, a community-led day that aims to raise awareness of the environmental and leisure benefits of the water environment. Organised by the Footprint Trust, the free, family-friendly event took place this year on 13th May, on the quayside in Newport.
Keep an eye on the Cowes Sailability Club calendar for the dates of other upcoming events