Who are we?
SBSC is a volunteer run Community Amateur Sports Club. We provide the most comprehensive sailing, kayaking, canoeing, kite/windsurfing and paddleboarding opportunities for both beginners and experienced participants in the area. We have the only full time Royal Yachting Association approved training centre in North and West Norfolk and are unique in having both a lake and the sea equidistant from the clubhouse.
We have a successful track record of planning and delivering major projects, including, most recently, extending the clubhouse, refurbishing the club bungalow, installation of a community defibrillator and the installation of Solar PV and Solar Thermal systems to improve the sustainability of the club.
We have a thriving Junior sailing programme together with a busy Senior sailing section. Our annual Cadet Weeks have grown and we have 200 juniors of all ages and abilities attending each year. We train our junior sailors who wish to progress to become Dinghy Instructors and beyond - the RYA Regional Development Officer started aa a junior with us!
Our aim is to encourage and develop participation in on-water activities for all ages and abilities. We have recently improved our facilities to support disabled access and have excellent relationships with local schools, youth and community groups.
This project forms part of our long term commitment to low cost sailing (a family membership costs just £6.00 per week) and to developing our Sailability centre so that we can make sailing available to the majority of those in the community with additional needs or disabilities wishing to access the water.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We have already invested over £27000 in improving our accessible facilities for sailors with physical limitations, disabilities, learning difficulties or other needs - we have bought two Hansa 303 dinghies, installed a wheelchair accessible pontoon and hoist and are in the process of building a wheelchair pathway to further improve access to the pontoon.
We now need to add at least one additional dinghy to our fleet to enable us to take more people on the water in our Sailability sessions. We have already received a grant offer of 50% of the cost towards this, we just need to top it up with Crowdfunder donations to get the award!
How we’ll spend the money raised
We intend to purchase a new Hartley Wayfarer dinghy to our specifications that can be used for accessible sailing and to meet an increased demand for adult tuition. The cost of this will be approximately £15000. Any extra raised will be used to purchase additional Hansa 303 dinghies.
Community impact
Accessible sailing is about more than disability - there are significant numbers of people who, as a result of age or personal circumstances, are no longer able to sail independently but would love to get on the water. We have also identified groups locally where isolation is an issue who may benefit from learning a new skill in conjunction with others. We already support pupils from Churchill Park Complex Needs School and we have been approached by the local Stroke Association and others who wish to access sailing with the attendant mental and physical health benefits that ensue.
Sailing helps with muscle strength and endurance, cardiovascular fitness and mental wellness. It also lowers stress levels, increases agility, improves concentration and improves communication skills and spatial awareness.
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. Any amount is valuable, all the funds will be put to good use! 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!