Sams the woman to get children OnBoard
by Hamish Stuart, RYA Wales 6 Aug 2011 09:22 BST
5 August 2011
Getting ready to sail in the Swansea OnBoard scheme © RYA Wales
Keen sailor Sam Healy is the new person to encourage children in the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot areas to take to the water over the summer holidays.
Welsh Sailing has launched a partnership with Swansea and Neath Port Talbot councils, which has resulted in the appointment of Healy as the OnBoard Club Development Officer for the region.
It will be her job to bring new people into the sport, working closely with Tata Sailing Club and Mumbles Yacht Club as well as commercial partners like Swansea Watersports.
Healy has been involved with the sport as a volunteer for a number of years.
Her children sail at both Mumbles and Cardiff Bay YC and she has been helping deliver the OnBoard programme since its inception in South Wales.
“I am looking forward to this challenge and have made some good contacts with local schools,” she said.
“A summer activities programme is already in place and schools will have the opportunity of being part of the programme again in September”.
OnBoard is a national participation programme designed to introduce young people and families to sailing and windsurfing.
Welsh Sailing has a number of OnBoard Partnerships across Wales that have so far delivered over 13,000 first participation opportunities, established links with 45 schools in the two and a half years the scheme has been running in Wales.
Welsh Sailing Chief Executive Steve Morgan said “OnBoard is a great programme that will introduce new families to our sport.
“It is a great example of partnership working bringing the voluntary, public and private sectors together. We are extremely grateful for the support from both Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea.”
If you would like more information on the programme or on learning more about the sport contact the Welsh sailing Office on 01248 670738.
Run by the RYA, OnBoard is a grass roots programme which introduces sailing and windsurfing to young people aged 8 to 18, through schools, youth groups and training centres.
Over a ten year period OnBoard aims to introduce a minimum of 500,000 children to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10% of them into regular participants. So far it’s nicely on track.
For more information about how to get involved in sailing visit the RYA’s website www.rya.org.uk or the OnBoard website www.ruob.co.uk