Pentewan Sands Sailing Club secures £50,000 from sporting legacy fund

Pentewan Sands Sailing Club in Pentewan, Cornwall are pleased to announce that we have secured Olympic legacy funding from Sport England's Inspired Facilities Fund.

The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country. Every sports facility that receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games.

The fund will help to build a new, fit for purpose, clubhouse. We are looking to build a new clubhouse in a better location towards the beach at Pentewan and are at the present time awaiting advice from Cornwall's planning and conservation officers. Plans will then be drawn-up, and after consultation with local residents, submitted for planning approval.

Miles Avery (Club Secretary) says that whilst this is a major contribution to the building funds, the club will still have to part finance the build by using its reserves of capital and the generosity of its members labour and skills. Work, provided planning permission is granted, will commence January 2013 with a completion date of June 2013. Whilst the club is a sailing club catering for multi-hull sailors, we hope that more locals will take up sailing and join our club. Other members join for ease of access to the beach for kayaking year round. We also have Mid-Cornwall Divers & the Endeavour kayaking club associated to us and we help out Mevagissey Gig Club with their annual regatta off the beach. We hope that all their members will make more use of our new facilities and help towards making Pentewan a more popular water-sports destination.

Mike Ward (Club Commodore) welcomed the news saying that this will move the club forward whilst encouraging new members to join. We offer a great sailing location and host many national sailing events, the first of which to enjoy our new facilities will be the Sprint 15s in August 2013. New and existing members will welcome and enjoy the much needed new facilities in a great location, which will make it a lot more comfortable to relax in after a day on the water having a members bar and galley closer to the beach. RYA training is given to members in Multi-hull level 1-2, Power boat level 1-2, Safety boat & First Aid.

RYA training is also provided by Pentewan Sailing School who also teach sailing and powerboating from beginners all the way through to instructor training. Anna Weld (Pentewan Sailing Schools Principal) stated that the new facilities will help encourage more people into watersports. Local schools will be more willing to use this as a base for teaching their children to sail, improving water confidence and awareness of the dangers and opportunities of the sea for our youngsters. Everyone who has a lesson, or goes sailing will have a much nicer on shore facility to use, which increases your enjoyment of the sport. It is also hoped that this will help boost the local economy as the more people come here to learn new skills, then more will make the most of Pentewan Sands Campsite, the B & Bs in the village for accommodation, as well as eating in the pub and cafe during their courses.

Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell & Newquay, commented:
"The Olympic games are bringing a buzz to London and the UK this summer, but I'm determined to see projects like this benefit the community through a lasting legacy that gives local people a greater opportunity to get involved in sports.

"This grant is a big boost for Pentewan Sands Sailing Club and I look forward to working with the club's committee over the coming weeks and months and they draw up their plans and work with the community to develop a fitting and sustainable club house that will give our village an Olympic legacy for years to come."

We sail from March to December, sailing all day Sundays and Thursday evenings with safety cover on the water at all times. Mainly sailing catamarans.

New members welcome.

www.pentewansailingclub.org.uk