People's Millions for local sailing clubs.

Well done to the worthy winners of The People's Millions.

Thanks to everyone who voted for their local sailing project in the final of this year’s lottery- People’s Millions, a partnership between the Big Lottery and ITV. The East Anglian Sailing Trust (EAST), The Somerset Youth and Community Sailing Association (SYCSA) and the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club (IOS) have all been announced as winners and will receive up to £50,000 to spend on their sailing projects.  

The Projects  

EAST were claiming votes in the East Anglian area for their project  to transform an old redundant building into a new Waterside Community Centre providing EAST‘s growing number of disabled sailors with a new modern headquarters and workshop. Whilst SYCSA; a non-profit making charitable organisation run by volunteers at Durleigh Sailing Club won their vote in the ITV West region with plans to use their winnings to offer free sailing lessons and taster sessions to over 500 new sailors of all ages and abilities each year from 2011 to 2013. They will also use the funding to add more dinghies to their fleet.  

The Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club, finalists in the ITV East region,  plan to improve facilities for disabled people by creating better access to the clubhouse, widening the front door, installing ramps and introducing the changing facilities and are hoping that the money will get their RYA Sailability programme off the ground.  IOS currently run RYA OnBoard sessions and with new facilities they plan to encourage even more youngsters to take up the sport.  

Tony Wood, RYA Regional Development Officer in the South West says “It absolutely fantastic that people have picked up their phones and voted for these local projects which introduce sailing to the community. Clubs often rely entirely on the work of volunteers so to win funding from a competition like The People’s Millions really is a massive help and shows that locally people are behind their hard work. ”  

Visit www.peoplesmillions.org.uk/2010-finalists to find more information about all of the projects.