Making a splash! It’s all hands on deck at Poole Sailability
Nick and Sian are volunteers with Poole Sailability, a registered charity that passionately believes that disability and ill health shouldn’t stop anyone from experiencing the joys of sailing.
Talbot Village Trust helped the charity with the purchase of new sails and outboard motors, getting the charity’s volunteers and visitors in ship shape to set sail across Poole Harbour.
Trustee Nick has been with the charity for around eight years, and Sian joined the group in 2020, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nick says: “As a trustee, it can sometimes be quite time consuming but our work is so rewarding! It’s just so nice to see how people develop. We’re entirely about getting out on the water and the enjoyment and confidence building that comes with it.
“Our outreach work is so important because we want to help people sail regularly – the more people we can get out on the water, the better!
When we work with groups like young carers, their team decides who comes out with us and that’s usually rotated to make sure everyone gets a go. Sessions with schools can sometimes be the same group each time – through our team members Chris and Abbie, these young people can then work towards the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) certificates that we can award.
Fortunately, since the pandemic, the group has seen the arrival of several new volunteers to cater for a substantial rise in demand for their services.
Nick explains: “We’re just so busy and sadly we’re at capacity in terms of how many sailing sessions we can offer. We’d like more but we currently offer four sessions a week and we have two summer term schools, Wednesday and Sunday sessions with members, and then Friday morning sessions with outreach groups.
“We’re looking to recruit a lot more local people so that we can increase our ability to run sessions effectively. It’s important to say that not all members head onto the water, we have some who help us with important office and administration work too. To have people help in any way that they can is great.
For the Rockley Park based organisation, sailing experiences are always unique and varied, with some people taking part in all aspects of moving the boat through water and others who simply want to enjoy thrill of the ride.
“It’s all about the pleasure of being out on the water. We encourage young people to ‘take the helm’, and steer the boat, while some are keen to ‘pull the lines’ and set the sails. People joining us can do as much or as little as they’d like.
“It’s great that local trusts like Talbot Village Trust and local sailing clubs continue to support us – sailing itself doesn’t have to be expensive, but there are costs like mooring that have gone up year on year. Maintaining our fleet can mean things like new sails, funded by Talbot Village Trust and others, to the purchase of an entirely new safety boat, which has been very kindly funded through the legacy of Ken Thorp, a local businessman who passed away.
Some volunteers are attracted to the cause due to its focus on the outdoors and peaceful serenity brought about by Poole Harbour’s relaxing natural environment.
Sian says: “I’ve sailed since I was 24 and I’ve worked for the RNLI – my husband was also lifeboat crew. But I’m retired now so I get out on the water as often as I can. I joined Sailability in 2020, and now that things have started to happen again after lockdowns and COVID, there’s a real focus on mindfulness. Sailing just has a very calming influence on people.
“When groups join us to sail for the first time, they can be quite nervous, but it’s all about getting them to feel comfortable and happy. For those that have sailed before, we help people who’ve had ailments that have prevented them from being on the water. Hearing some of the young people and their joy when they come on the radio when we’re out – it’s just becomes instinctive and it’s so fun!”
"Part of our role is about giving people back that opportunity to sail and feel good about themselves. It’s great for confidence and character building!”
