North Powys gets OnBoard
by Hamish Stuart 7 Jul 2011 16:54 BST
7 July 2011
A new RYA OnBoard Centre near Llanidloes © RYA
Keen sailor Matt Osbourne-Hill is the new person helping to encourage children to take up the sport in North Powys as the OnBoard scheme reaches another area. He will be based at the Staylittle Outdoor Education Club and Clywedog Sailing Club, near Llanidloes, which has become an OnBoard Centre.
Three schools have already signed up for the Saturday sessions, as part of the OnBoard scheme which aimed at introducing sailing and windsurfing to young and junior participants. The children taking up sailing have been so keen to learn that even the teacher’s strike was just another opportunity to get out on the water as they build towards their RYA Stage 2 awards.
Pupils from Llanidloes High School went sailing at Clywedog sailing club on the day of the strike, supported by their 5x60 officer Kate Jones.
It is one example of how Osbourne-Hill is relishing his new challenge, “The Llanidloes School Onboard group are excelling. They have recovered well from the first couple of sessions of less than great winds and are now on lesson four, well on the way to getting their Stage 2 Youth Sailing Awards.”
The same group from Llanidloes had joined children from Newtown, who have also taken up sailing through the OnBoard scheme, to help open the partnership at the club, which is co-funded by Welsh Sailing and Powys Council.
The launch tea party was also attended by Councillor Gwilym T Evans and the Mayor of Llanidloes, John Whittal-Williams. The children tried out the 12 New Optibat boats that have also been part of the funding. The unveiling of the plaque was done by the children while the boats were christened by Chris Basten, WYA Chairman.
The club also launched a wheelchair accessible pontoon and hoist to assist less able sailors into their boats – meaning now anyone young old able or not can get afloat.
Any school or youth group interested in linking with the project should contact Matt Osbourne-Hill