Eco award for Nantwich & Borders County Sailing Club

Nantwich & Borders County Sailing Club in Nantwich, Cheshire was awarded £2000 as one of the winners of the 2009 Volvo Eco Challenge.

The money will be used to fund an environmental project designed by the club, which is aimed at cleaning up the water in the club’s private lake, as well as making the club more environmentally aware.

Rob Taylor, from local dealer Holdcroft Stoke presented a cheque for £2000 to Steve Hoy and a group of junior members from the club.

The younger sailors at Nantwich and Borders S.C want to use this award to plant a reed bed which will combat the high levels of nitrate in the lake and reduce the levels of weed.

The Volvo Eco Challenge was set up to provide grants of up to £2000 for environmental projects at sailing clubs across the UK. These projects are carried out by the club’s junior members aged between 10 and 16.

Sailing is seen as an environmentally friendly sport, but research has proven that Sailing Clubs are struggling to comply with current environmental legislation. The Volvo Eco Challenge not only helps the clubs comply with the legislation but also allows the young people to learn more about helping to protect the environment.

Steve Hoy from Nantwich & Borders County SC said:
“We were delighted to receive this award, the junior members submitted the bid as an attempt to environmentally control the growth of algae and weed which can restrict the number of sailing days during the summer months, Young members will be able to take part in the planting and this will contribute to their GCSE studies in science!!” The Dodd Squad are around twenty five strong with ages ranging from eight to seventeen and they regularly sail at Doddington Lake near Nantwich”

The judging panel which included Volvo Eco Challenge Ambassador and BBC Springwatch presenter, Chris Packham, were very impressed by the young people’s ideas and enthusiasm for the project.

Chris Packham commented;
“The Volvo Eco Challenge has really captured the imagination of these young sailors and made them think about simple steps that can be taken to help us all protect our environment. This is only the second year the Challenge has been running and already we have seen some very impressive projects which all the young people involved deserve credit for.”

Rob Taylor from Holdcroft Stoke said on presenting the award;
“We are delighted to be supporting Nantwich & Borders and congratulate all the young people involved. Volvo Car UK is committed to reducing environmental impact and the dedication Volvo has shown to our environmental policy dates back to the 1970s. The Volvo Eco Challenge shows what we can help to do in the community and we look forward to hearing more about Nantwich and Borders progress.”