Awards for All - South East

Small map of England, Scotland and Wales, with the South East England area highlighted

Queen Mary Reservoir Sailing Club

Removing barriers and giving disabled people greater access to sport and recreation through RYA Sailability.

Click on the images below to see larger versions of the pictures

Launch ceremony with Michael Cogswell paraplegic at the wheel, the paralympic keelboat coach and the Sailability Thames Valley training co-ordinator.

Trevor Jones - a well known disabled sailor using the new wheel.

Yeoman Keelboat 201 Vision being sailed in the Yeoman National Championships by paraplegic Eddie Pickering, Rachel Morris a wheelchair user and Vicki Sheen, who is visually impaired.

Yeoman Keelboat Y205 Jet being sailed in the Yeoman National Championships by paraplegic Martin Piper with two able bodied crew.

Disability is not a barrier to sailing at the highest level, when you have the right equipment. Note the wheel steering for use by paraplegic sailors.

Two yeoman keelboats were donated and the club applied for an award to help cover the cost of upgrading them so that paraplegics and others with disability can helm the boats, supported in a special seat, and compete.

A club organiser said “this award has given disabled people a unique opportunity to learn to race on equal terms against people with other disabilities. It has also enabled members to compete in the National Championships. Awards for All funding helped us to move the project forward faster than anticipated and over 380 disabled people have already benefited from this project. It will also help identify potential future members of a Paralympic Squad”.