Staffordshire & North Warwickshire RYA OnBoard Award winners
by Karenza Morton, RYA 12 Nov 2010 08:42 GMT
3) Blithfield SC Commodore Andy Felthouse (l) accepts their 2010 RYA OnBoard Club of the Year award from RYA OnBoard Development Officer for Staffordshire, Brett Cokayne © RYA
A senior sailing instructor from Litchfield and Blithfield Sailing Club, near Rugely, are celebrating after receiving top RYA awards for their commitment to introducing young people in Staffordshire to sailing and windsurfing.
Libby Constance was named Staffordshire and North Warwickshire RYA OnBoard Volunteer of the Year while Blithfield SC picked up the Club of the Year accolade at the region’s 2010 RYA OnBoard Awards, held at South Staffordshire Sailing Club.
OnBoard is the RYA’s nationwide grassroots scheme providing youngsters from local schools, community and youth groups with opportunities to sail regularly at low cost and continue participating at specially-designated OnBoard clubs in their area.
Libby, Principal Training Officer at Chase Sailing Club for six years, this year faced her biggest challenge as with ongoing repair work to Chasewater Dam stopping sailing, Libby worked tirelessly to keep local youngsters sailing this season by striking an agreement with neighbours Aldridge SC to use their water.
Libby explains: “We realised the seriousness of the issue in February and were faced with relocating 'Youth Sailing @ Chase' to another centre or accept closure for two seasons. YS@C has been so successful we felt it essential to try to relocate.
“Aldridge SC was very welcoming and supportive. The move to Aldridge, transporting all our boats and equipment, was a very labour intensive operation involving many YS@C officers and volunteers. But the group’s determination and enthusiasm was evidence of how worthwhile we felt the effort to be.”
Meanwhile, Blithfield SC is leading the way in giving Staffordshire youngsters the chance to really embrace sailing having recently been named an RYA OnBoard club. Blithfield had worked on introducing OnBoard for three years and the club’s already hosted sessions for pupils from Richard Clarke First School in Abbots Bromley.
Commodore Andy Felthouse said: “RYA OnBoard is a recognised standard of quality so children, and their parents, know they will receive the best tuition in a safe, friendly club environment. We’re really excited about trying to open up as many doors as we possibly can for young people and their parents to get involved in all aspects of the sport at Blithfield SC.”
Host club South Staffordshire SC also had plenty to smile about on the night as they joined the ranks of the 180 RYA OnBoard clubs in Britain in receiving official RYA OnBoard status.
Having successfully run junior training over many years, producing sailors that have represented Britain at youth level, South Staffs are embracing OnBoard as the next phase in encouraging even more youngsters, and their parents into sailing, and providing a nationwide standard of excellence in junior instruction and coaching.
Tony Hotchkiss from South Staffs SC said: “Our measure of success will be the integration of these children and their parents into existing club activities so they can develop their sailing skills over the years and enjoy the social and support opportunities club membership can bring.”
Brett Cokayne, RYA OnBoard Development Officer for Staffordshire and North Warwickshire, said: “Volunteers are the foundation of RYA OnBoard and if it wasn’t for their time, dedication and commitment fewer youngsters would be able to get out on the water for the first time and experience what sailing and windsurfing can offer.
“This is the first year we have run RYA OnBoard activity in Staffordshire and Warwickshire and we’re looking forward to getting even more clubs involved in offering even more opportunities for kids in 2011.”
For more information on RYA OnBoard in Staffordshire and North Warwickshire contact Brett Cokayne at www.ruob.co.uk