'This Girl Can' get afloat at Notts County SC thanks to £75,000 grant

Ross Ryan, Commodore of Notts County Sailing Club (l) gets the Inspired Facilities seal of approval from Crispin Clark, Sport England Grants Manager © David Eberlin / Notts County SC

'This Girl Can' do even more sailing at Notts County SC after the club landed a £75,000 Sport England Inspired Facilities grant to improve its facilities to give more girls and women the chance to get into the sport.

The extension to the ladies changing rooms is part of a wider refurbishment of the clubhouse that will also particularly benefit the club's youth sailors, while scope for the addition of a new training room will support Notts County's RYA courses too.

This Sport England Inspired Facilities grant is part of a planned overall £257,000 investment in sailing being made by Notts County SC at Hoveringham Reservoir over the next two years, with the club celebrating 30 years at the site this year.

Recently the club was awarded RYA OnBoard status, to provide low cost sailing opportunities for local school and youth groups so more kids aged 8-18 can learn to sail, while Notts County is also developing more sailing for disabled people. But it is the new opportunities to get increased numbers of females on the water that has got Notts County really buzzing over the latest grant success.

Ross Ryan, Notts County SC Commodore, explains: "There's been a huge national focus on encouraging more active females through Sport England's 'This Girl Can' campaign, but until now we haven't had the facilities to get as many women as men sailing. We still do pretty well, with a split in members of about 60:40, but we want to get that even more equal and the new facilities will help us achieve this growth.

"We have plans to introduce some tailored activities that appeal especially to females, whether new to sailing or developing their skills in the sport. But to really get through the numbers we want they need somewhere to change and comfortable, welcoming facilities that encourage them to keep coming back week on week.

"Sport England were impressed by the club's activities and forward thinking approach and were delighted to award us £75,000 from the Inspired Facilities fund towards an initial build phase of £127,900, which is part of the overall plan to develop and enlarge our facilities at Hoveringham involving over £¼m investment."

Notts County SC is bidding to get more females sailing thanks to the new investment - photo © David Eberlin / Notts County SC

You and your family are invited to try sailing and windsurfing for FREE at Notts County SC's Open Day on Saturday 14 May (10am-4pm), as part of the nationwide RYA Push The Boat Out 'have a go at sailing' festival. No fewer than six clubs and centres across the county are hosting free or low cost Push The Boat Out events between 14-22 May.

Notts County SC is a recognised RYA Training Centre meaning it conforms to the highest standards of quality and safety. All you will need to enjoy the Open Day is some comfortable clothes and old trainers you don't mind getting wet and, weather depending, a waterproof and/or sunscreen. Buoyancy aids and safety brief will be provided and refreshments will be available.

Work is due to start on the new facilities later this summer, with completion for the 2017 sailing season.

Robert Jenrick, MP for Newark and Sherwood, said: "I'm delighted to see the Lottery funding helping a successful grassroots sailing club to expand numbers involved in this sport for life. I hope this facility enables the club to strengthen and provide even more opportunities for our local community."

Charles Johnston, Sport England Property Director, added: "Inspired Facilities has had a huge impact on grassroots sport across the country. Since 2011 we've invested £102m into more than 1,920 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs. It's great to see Notts County SC join the long list of successful clubs to benefit."

Find out more about Notts County SC, including Open Day details, at www.ncsc.org.uk and for RYA Push The Boat Out event information, including who's doing what, where and when visit www.rya.org.uk/go/PTBO