Sailing club volunteer given royal approval
A SAILING volunteer from Burbage has been presented with a prestigious national award by Princess Anne.
Jill Magee received a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Lifetime Commitment Award for her work for the Leicestershire and Rutland Youth Sailing Association (LRYSA).
While her official title is secretary,
Jill also co-ordinates sessions and regattas for hundreds of people, leading communication with sailors and parents and organising the committee.
She has raised more than £100,000 in the last 10 years to make sailing more accessible for the local community.
Speaking on behalf of the RYA,
James Allan, RYA Scotland CEO, said: “Our sport genuinely would not exist if we didn’t have the cadre of volunteers across the clubs and organisations, no matter what type of boating it happens to be you’re involved in.
“Without volunteers, clubs simply don’t happen. Their commitment is so important, it’s the bedrock of everything our sport depends on in the UK.”
The RYA is boating’s national governing body and the Volunteer Awards are considered the MBEs of the sport, honouring people throughout the UK for their outstanding contributions across all the disciplines the RYA represents, including sailing, windsurfing, powerboating, inland waterways and personal watercraft.
All the winners were nominated by their clubs and selected by the RYA Honours and Awards Panel.