Sail covers come off at Ripon
Ripon Sailing Club is set to unveil its new clubhouse on 4th May 2014. "A great investment for the region," said local MP Andrew Cooper. "The new facilities will welcome more people into sailing."
INSPIRING SAILING FACILITIES FOR RIPON
Sailing clubs across the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yorkshire and Humberside Region are dusting off their sail covers and preparing for the new season.
Since 2012, over £500,000 has been spent on the improvement of sailing facilities across the north of England and we now have facilities to match the best in the country.
Ripon Sailing Club, based near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, benefitted from £50,000 Olympic legacy funding in 2013 via the Sport England Inspired Facilities fund. The £50,000 Sport England funding was matched by £50,000 from other sources and consequently the club can now start the 2014 sailing season from its smart, newly refurbished clubhouse which will be officially opened by Councillor Carole Reid, Mayor of Knaresborough on Sunday 4th May.
Some of the new improvements include:
- Completely refurbished changing, toilet and shower facilities with underfloor heating
- A new entrance porch and access ramp
- A fully refurbished Club room
- A new, more effective and energy efficient heating system
- Improvements to glazing, flooring and lighting
"Our new facilities will make access to the clubhouse much easier, especially for those with disabilities," said Chris Wright, Secretary of Ripon Sailing Club. "The builders moved in during autumn 2013, after our summer sailing season had finished. Transformation from our adequate 1980s building into a modern, bright, inclusive 21st century facility is now complete. I'd like to thank our volunteers and club members for bearing with us during this time."
"We would like to move forward with our links to RYA Sailability and we will be able to welcome many more members of the community to our new accessible facilities."
"It is good to know that the Olympic legacy is funding projects across the country and great that one of those projects is Ripon Sailing Club," said Andrew Cooper, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. "The Club has a great youth section and is well-known as a family friendly organisation. This funding will enable the Club to introduce even more people to sailing. The RYA Sailability scheme has introduced more than 40,000 people with disabilities to sailing in the last year alone. This local investment marks another step forward through the Club’s strong ties to the Sailability."
Sport England’s Chair, Nick Bitel, said: “A year on from the Olympics, this National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy in Yorkshire.”
“With investment now on offer from our Inspired Facilities Fund until 2017, we look forward to supporting many more sports clubs in the region who play such a vital role in grassroots sport.”
For more information about Ripon Sailing Club please visit
www.ripon-sc.org.uk