Please select your home edition
Edition
RYA Membership

RYA awarded further £150,000 of Tackling Inequalities Funding

by Susie Nation-Grainer 7 May 2021 15:46 BST
Claudia and daughter (Sailability@Whitefriars) plus OnBoard session at Tollgate Primary School, London © RYA

The RYA has been awarded a further £150,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England's Tackling Inequalities Fund which aims to help reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 and the widening of the inequalities in sport and physical activity.

Non-profit organisations and RYA OnBoard and Sailability venues in England are once again invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 that will be used for projects which engage with:

  • Lower socio-economic groups
  • Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities
  • Disabled People
  • People with long term health conditions

"In the last round we awarded 19 venues and we're hugely grateful to Sport England for making this funding available to sailing projects once again. It's been another very tough six months for grassroots sport but we're now beginning to see the impact that this funding can have" said Rob Clark, RYA Director of Sport Development.

Plymouth Youth Sailing Club were awarded £10,000 for their work helping disadvantaged people in their local area including refugees and asylum seekers. Adrian Kemp said the funding came at a 'pivotal' time for the club.

"It has enabled us to recruit an additional member of staff to support our volunteers in the delivery of a dedicated programme for both the BAME community and young people who have suffered from isolation during the pandemic. Without this additional outreach funding, it would have been impossible to have established this programme straight out of lockdown".

Sailability@Whitefriars have used their funding to run winter training for volunteers and carers, enabling them to restart activity by remotely assisting and shadowing sailors. New members Claudia and her daughter Luciana are both benefitting from this.

"Because of the restrictions we have addressed due to COVID, having someone assisting Luciana and myself on the water has meant I get to spend quality time with my daughter, and she gets to experience a beautiful activity that calms and soothes her" explains Claudia.

The deadline for venues to submit completed application forms with supporting project plans is 26 May 2021.

Rob concludes: "We know there are more organisations who will want to use this opportunity to deliver fantastic projects to these communities. Within our audiences, there'll be groups who've found it harder to return to activity so we're particularly interested in projects which can address this, for example people who require greater levels of physical support to be active or those who have been subject to long term considerable levels of COVID-19 restrictions".

More information about the funding, criteria, and application forms can be found on the RYA website here.

Find more information about Sport England Tackling Inequalities Funding.

Love Boating? Then why not join the association that promotes and protects, safe, successful and rewarding British boating. Join today and support the RYA in protecting your boating rights and freedoms. Take advantage of free advice and support on all aspects of your boating, as well as enjoying a range of fantastic personal member offers. Find out more by calling 02380 604 159, email or visit www.rya.org.uk

Related Articles

Next RYA Connected Webinar on 23rd June
Securing funding and finance for your club If you're interested in securing funding or finance to enable investment for capital infrastructure projects then we think you will want to know about this webinar... Posted on 13 Jun
Celebrating 20 years of OnBoard
One of the UK's largest grassroots programs dedicated to getting children aged 8–18 out on the water OnBoard is celebrating 20 years of impact—having already introduced more than 1.3 million young people to the transformative experience of sailing and windsurfing. Posted on 9 Jun
RYA named Official Community Impact Partner
Connecting the local community, children and groups in Portsmouth with the water. As excitement builds ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth this July, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is proud to be named the event's Official Community Impact Partner. Posted on 7 Jun
New British Sailing Talent Academies open
Four Academy host venues announced as programme applications open up The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is proud to announce the launch of four new British Sailing Talent Academies as part of its commitment to developing the next generation of high-performance sailors. Posted on 4 Jun
Nominations now open for the 2026 RYA Awards
Celebrate the people and organisations making a difference in our boating community The instructor who sparks confidence in new sailors. The person who quietly keeps things running behind the scenes. The young volunteer who turns up with a smile, rain or shine. Posted on 2 Jun
RYA Southampton International Boat Show deal
Take advantage of an exclusive discounted £5 ticket Southampton International Boat Show, Britain's biggest festival of boating and watersports is back on 19th-28th September 2025 for its 56th edition and RYA members (aged 16+) can now take advantage of an exclusive discounted £5 ticket. Posted on 31 May
Next RYA Connected Webinar tonight at 7pm!
Growing membership through non-competitive activity After a pause in April, it's time for the third in the series of webinars aimed at helping clubs boost membership and sailing participation. Posted on 12 May
£10 off RYA adult or family membership
This spring, make it official - join the RYA community Now's the perfect time to take the next step in your boating journey. Join RYA membership today and unlock exclusive benefits designed to help you get more from life on the water. Posted on 19 Apr
RYA launches 'The Female Futures Group'
Supporting and elevating women in sport A new wave of change is emerging in British sailing as the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) launches The Female Futures Group, dedicated to increasing female participation and unlocking new opportunities for women and girls in the sport. Posted on 9 Apr
RYA influences MCA's changes to regulations
Interview with Niall McLeod to see how Sport and Pleasure Code of Practice affects us The RYA have been working closely with the the government to make sure that new regulations for leisure vessels are not too restrictive. It seems that any group which operates a "coded" vessel should be thankful. Posted on 18 Mar