Who are we?
We are a small, but enthusiastic boat club in a socially deprived area on the shores of Lough Neagh. There is a great sense of freedom and achievement when you control the wind and sail a boat. We would love to make this available to young people who struggle to find their 'thing'. It's too easy to get sucked into the social media vacuum, where perception is often far from reality and it is difficult to form genuine social bonds. Sailing teaches many life skills, as you have to make a lot of decisions and be responsible for your own safety. There are a lot of practical lessons, as you need to be able to check over your equipment and set it up. It is great physical exercise, as you are out in fresh air and getting a gentle workout without thinking about it. You will notice fish, birds and insects as you get away from the man-made world. It is a very social pastime and sailors have great respect for one another, whether they are competing in the olympics or pottering about in a lake. as they all enjoy doing it and not just winning races. Ballyronan Boat Club has been a part of the community for over 50 years and many locals have great memories of first getting on the water with our club. Sailing can be much more than a hobby or sport; we have several people in our humble club who have jobs and careers in the marine industry.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We have recognised a problem with sailing and watersports; it can be expensive to get started. You seem to need a lot of gear and knowledge before you can begin. We aim to bridge that gap by running a series of introductory events and activities. These will be short, fun, simple sessions, designed to bring like-minded people together and encourage each other as they learn new skills. We want these sessions to be free, or minimal cost, to maximise participation. Our preliminary timetable is as follows:
Session 1.Introductions, expectations, team-building games and snacks.
Session 2. Sailing taster session, under the control of experienced leaders. This will give everyone a buzz of adrenaline and give them something to look forward to.
Session 3. Pilates session and specific sailing exercises. Co-ordination and core strength will improve your balance and reaction times. This will make you a better sailor and help you to enjoy the sport, which is very important if you're going to stick at it.
Session 4. Land-based sail training. Go through the motions of tacking and manouvering the boat without the fear of getting wet. We will have good instructors to suit all abilities; male and female, young and old.
Session 5. Bouldering. Climbing a wall requires a lot of skills similar to those needed for sailing. It builds flexibility, core strength and confidence. It's also a good activity for participants to encourage each other to complete their personal challenges.
Session 6. On-water sessions. Rotating between sailing, paddle boarding and kayaking, participants will get an opportunity to try everything we can offer. Instructors are beside you for guidance and support.
Session 7. Environment and the pollution problem. Explain the principles of 'Leave No Trace' in a marine context. We will demonstrate how we can make a difference by collecting litter from the lough in a purpose-built boat and change cultural behaviour.
Session 8. Flying solo. Bring together all of the skills learned to sail the boat independently, with trained instructors with you for moral support. Best done on a calm day. De-brief with trained instructor to focus on areas for improvement.
Session 9. Competition time! We will host a series of short races, with fun challenges. Bring everyone together for food and prize-giving. Explain the ongoing path of progression and support network available.
To ensure a sustainable future, we want our young people to take ownership of the project. We will enable them to do this by giving them proper training in leadership and instructor training. We will upskill our existing young adults and they will be able to teach the new recruits.
There will be a few consumable materials needed to carry out this work and we don't expect newcomers to have any appreciation of this, so we need these costs to be absorbed into the project. This will include things like prizes, food, fuel, gloves, life-jackets, rope, chain, anchors and inflatable markers.
When our participants have graduated, we hope they are enthusiastic and want to develop themselves, so we need to have a progression plan for them. We will purchase a boat, which is available to any new participants who have come through this scheme. It will belong to the club and be maintained and insured, so that it is always available for new or additional opportunities to participate. It could be used for local club racing, as well as being available for new participants to take to other events or competitions. This class of boat is popular within Ireland, UK and Europe, so it is the perfect springboard for anyone who enjoys a healthy competition. It is the recommended pathway boat by the RYA for aspiring new sailors. It is also a two-person boat, which is very appealing, as you are able to share the highs and lows with other people.
To achieve all of this, we need support from kind people like you. "Blessed are those who give without remembering and receive without forgetting"
How we’ll spend the money raised
The money raised will be spent in five areas:
Physical Training;
- Bouldering £300 (20 people @ £15pp)
- Pilates & strength training, etc. £400 (2 groups @ £200 per group)
Environmental Training;
- Marine litter, Leave No Trace, RYA green-blue. £300 (3 groups @ £100 per group)
Professional Instructors;
- Paddle-board instructors £300 (2 groups @ £150 per group)
- Kayak instructors £300 (2 groups @ £150 per group)
- Dinghy instructors £600 (6 groups @ £100 per group)
Leadership Development;
- Dinghy Instructor training for our young adults £900 (3 people @ £300pp)
- RYA Safe & Fun Training £250 (10 people @ £25pp)
- Soft Skills & EDI training £120 (1 group @ £120)
- First Aid Training £270 (3 people @ £90pp)
- Safety Boat Training £300 (1 person @ £300pp)
Materials;
- Inflatable Marker Buoys £800 (4 x £200 each)
- Anchors, chain & rope £600 (4 x £150 each)
- Fuel £100
- Gloves, life-jackets, etc. £360 (10 x £36 each)
- Boat; RS Feva XL £1800
Community impact
The local community feel aggrieved about the negative publicity which surrounds Lough Neagh. We aim to generate some good news stories, by getting people to have fun on the water. When young people, a group of ladies, or disabled people are given an opportunity to take part in a sport for the first time, they give off an infectious energy which permeates through the whole community. The individuals benefit from the physical exercise and a relaxing time away from stresses of life. The young helpers will gain important qualifications in leadership and teamwork, as well as learning how to take on responsibility. The local coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and bars will benefit from hosting the training events and also from hungry sailors, who wish to retell their stories and nautical adventures. We will also open up these events to local groups, perhaps a photography club, a walking group, a scout group, or a crochet group. Everyone may get something different out of it, but we want to open up their eyes to a few more possibilities. Local businesses have offered generous reward incentives for our donors, as they appreciate the need to get more people actively involved in the sport.
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!