South Windermere Sailing Club - Another Sailing Club in trouble
by Mark Fearnley 6 May 20:27 BST
YMCA North Camp © SWSC
Y&Y readers may remember from 2018 when South Windermere Sailing Club's old 1960's clubhouse was demolished to make way for the new National Trust 'Active Base' facility at Fell Foot.
Despite a huge amount of effort by club members working with the National Trust to make it work, there were so many operational and financial issues, that when the club found out about the possibility of moving up the Lake to the YMCA North Camp the members voted overwhelmingly to go for it.
So in 2022 SWSC moved to its current location at the North Camp - a much better location for lake access and sailing. There followed another massive effort by club members. The old house that was used as instructors accommodation was totally refurbished into a clubhouse and changing rooms. A new boat park was built, along with a new bosun's store and boat racks. New access roads for launching boats were constructed, and a new floating jetty installed. Exhausted but excited, the club maintained its traditional programme of family based sailing activities and formal racing, along with a thriving old gaffers section. The club uses about 3 acres of the 12 acre North Camp site, the rest of which is still used by the YMCA and other tenants.
The risk was that the YMCA would only grant the club an initial 5 year lease, on the understanding that should the partnership with the YMCA prove successful, the lease would be extended. However, the YMCA has now put the whole North Camp site up for sale (for £5m), and unless SWSC can work with a partner to purchase the site, purchase part of the site, or obtain a new lease, it will cease to operate after 1st January 2027.
SWSC are currently preparing a submission to the Community Ownership Fund, to try to raise £1.5m to - to be submitted by the end of the month. This will involve SWSC expanding its offering to become even more community focused, working with the Blackwell Sailing charity to expand their Sailability offerings on Windermere, Scouts and environmental groups, and the local council. SWSC will have to raise £300K on matched funding to support this bid - a big ask - but even if successful, SWSC will have to work with a partner in order to purchase the whole site.
So, if you would like to purchase some prime Windermere Lake frontage, with great launching access, which houses a very friendly and hard-working sailing club, or can offer any help at all, please get in touch asap. Email