Southwold Sailing Club - Save Our Slip

Who are we?

Southwold Sailing Club

We are a not-for-profit sailing club situated on the East Coast of England. Our club has been a beacon for sailing enthusiasts since it began in 1949. This year we celebrate '75 years together on the water' along with our rich history and connections within our community.

We are a very welcoming club with 170 members and offer sailing and social activities to all who wish to take part. We encourage grass roots sailing with our training programme, regular club racing and cruises and we frequently host open meetings and championships.

Our mission is to create a thriving, inclusive and diverse community through activities, education and shared experiences for everyone. To provide activities both ashore and afloat and to promote the physical and mental well-being of our current and future members and of our wider community for generations to come.

But......we have a problem!

Our boat launching facility (slipway) has been a vital resource since the early 80's and has been the backbone of providing easy access to our waters. It was installed by the passionate and dedicated members of our club and has lasted for 45 years.

Over the last 15 years it has slowly broken up revealing big cracks and steep drops which has become a major problem.

Earlier this year we spent £7,000 removing the bottom 2 bays of concrete.

Southwold has a tidal range of approximately 2 metres but because of the poor state of the lower end of our slip it can only be used in the mid to high tide range which considerably limits our water activities.

Our Project

We need to install steel sheet piling to create a dam around the perimeter of the slip way.

The lower area can then be prepared and filled with concrete which will provide a ramp all the way to the waters edge which will allow launching at the lowest tides.

Project cost

The project will cost about £80,000. The main costs will be the purchase and installation of the sheet piling as it will need to be installed by a barge. The concrete is actually the least expensive element. We are aiming to raise £30,000 by crowdfunding.

Community impact

A new slipway will help to secure the future of our club for generations to come. We will continue to be a beacon for the sailing community. It will enable the club to grow and provide activities at all states of tide allowing us to become more inclusive and diverse, optimise our training programme, encourage more grass root activities, continue to host sailing events, increase activity and subscriptions, provide more volunteer opportunities, improve safety and to open up to the wider community promoting physical and mental well-being for all.

One thing is certain

Without a new slip we will not be able to achieve any of these things.

Why we are crowd funding

Our club is run by the members for the members, and all of our running costs are covered by membership subscriptions, boat parking fees, and social events. However unfortunately there is not much money left over for capital expenditure and to pay for this project. 

We recently held a Harbour Festival to celebrate our seventy fifth anniversary and to kick start our campaign. As a result of this we raised an amazing £5,000! But we cannot do this on our own which is why we are reaching out to you.

Our plea

We are reaching out to you to help us raise the vital funds we need to achieve this project. 

Your donation, no matter how small, will enable us to secure the clubs activities for generations to come.

Please consider making a contribution to our crowdfunding campaign and help us keep the spirit of sailing alive at Southwold Sailing Club. 

Together, we can ensure that our members have a safe and reliable slip to launch from for years to come.

Thank you for your support.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!