YOUTH SAILING IN CLUBS TO GET FUNDING BOOST FROM SPORT ENGLAND
 
Youth sailing in England has received a significant funding boost with Sport England awarding the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) an additional grant totalling £1.1 million with the purpose of further developing sailing and windsurfing for young people.
 
Through increased support for the RYA’s existing Volvo RYA Champion Club, OnBoard and Team15 youth initiatives, the funding will enhance the provision of junior and youth training, race training and provide additional coaching and coaching resources throughout England. It will also provide clubs with funding for the crucial process of training and developing volunteers.
 
By supporting coaching and volunteering at existing and potential Volvo RYA Champion Clubs, OnBoard and Team15 clubs and centres, the funding will make sailing and windsurfing more accessible to young people across England while also providing progression for those who want to further develop their skills and take part in racing.
 
Duncan Truswell, RYA Junior Racing Manager, explained that the grant, to be rolled out over the next three years from 1 April 2008, provides a fantastic opportunity for clubs to swell their ranks and secure their long-term futures.
 
He said: “This funding will be a real boon to youth sailing and windsurfing in England.  It will allow even more clubs and centres to launch youth training programmes and engage with the OnBoard and Team15 initiatives or become a Volvo RYA Champion Club. 
 
“It will also allow existing clubs to enhance the quality of training they provide and enable additional volunteers to become qualified. The funding aims to make it easier and more cost effective for clubs to develop these programmes by providing coaches and funding volunteer training
 
“The provision of training is vitally important in ensuring the future success of clubs. Clubs which provide easy access for children and their families and also deliver safe, well-structured and effective training will attract more members and generate revenue for the club”.  
 
Victoria Lenz, Sailing Development Officer at the RYA said: “With the extra funding from Sport England we will be able to assist more clubs and centres in establishing themselves as OnBoard centres and give even more children the chance to not only try these great sports for themselves but develop their skills with dedicated coaching in a club environment.”
 
As the RYA’s grassroots programme, OnBoard, launched in 2004, provides kids from five to 16 with the ideal environment to try sailing or windsurfing for the first time while Team15 is a windsurfer-specific initiative that not only introduces kids aged 15 and under to the sport but also provides skill development and racing opportunities.
 
Volvo RYA Champion Clubs enable kids who want to take their sailing or windsurfing more seriously to do so at a club that has made a commitment to deliver safe, effective racing and race training in the RYA-recognised Junior classes.
 
There are currently 86 OnBoard clubs and centres, 61 Team15 clubs and centres and 139 Volvo RYA Champion Clubs throughout the UK, offering sailing and windsurfing opportunities for children of all ages and ability. 
 
For further information about grant applications or how the new funding may be able to help your club contact James Tilley, RYA Champion Club Liaison Officer, at [email protected] or call 07748 800808
 
To find out more about OnBoard, Team15 or Volvo RYA Champion Clubs and to find your nearest club/centre visit www.rya.org.uk