On The Cover Breaking Down Boundaries How Emily is making a difference
Emily’s love of sailing now brings confidence and joy on the water to those with disabilities
Emily Greves, 41, from Reepham, Norfolk, became interested in sailing quite by chance. Although she’d always loved the water and been on day boat excursions, she’d never been on a sailing boat. Four years after she had a lifechanging moment, she is a proud volunteer for The
Nancy Oldfield Trust, a charity based on the beautiful Norfolk Broads which offers disabled and disadvantaged children and adults a life-affirming opportunity to canoe, sail and take a cruiser ride round the lakes and waterways.
“In 2017 I was working for the holiday cottage letting agency Norfolk Cottages,” says Emily. “They were shooting a video about sailing on the Broads and wanted people to pose. I thought I’d have a go and that evening was when it happened! The moment the wind hit the main sail, something awoke in me and everything changed. I’ll never forget that feeling!”
Emily was determined to pursue her new passion and after work visited The Nancy Oldfield Trust for lessons in sailing by instructor Mark Elson. It was during one of these lessons she was inspired to volunteer for the Trust.
“I met this incredible blind lady called Jane who was able to sail by feeling the direction of the wind. Even though she was supported, her abilities were extraordinary and I saw how it brought her to life. Most importantly, it taught me that anyone can learn new things at any age, and despite their disabilities.”
Four months later, Emily was offering her time as a volunteer. The whole ethos of the Trust with its positive “can do” attitude reaffirmed her sense that she was doing what she was meant to do.
“I quickly learned how the Trust’s principles are to make adventure possible,” she says. “Nancy Oldfield was formed in the 1980s and has always been about breaking down boundaries. You might not think people who are disabled, or less mobile, can take part in water-based activities,
but the other trustees, staff, volunteers and I are driven by a shared determination to make it happen. Once our visitors learn what they’re capable of, it really can impact their wellbeing for the better.”
Emily then completed her cruiser, power and safety boat training. The cruisers provide a pleasant river trip that will be stimulating and uplifting to those who are less able – as well as their carers, who can relax, have some downtime and enjoy themselves.
“We had this lovely family who got so much from their trip,” says Emily. “They didn’t know we existed and were so happy to have found us!”
Canoes and paddle boat or Daddy Boat trips offer a closer to nature experience, more off the beaten track where people can see kingfishers, great crested grebes, otters and the magnificent swallow-tailed butterflies which live nowhere else in the country.
One issue which limits some people’s ability to make use of their facilities is a simple lack of funds and the Trust offers generous bursaries to the disadvantaged, to open up the world of boats to those who might otherwise never have the opportunity. Emily was touched by one particular meeting which really brought this home to her.
“I was manning a stand at The Norfolk Show when a mum and her young son approached. She couldn’t afford to give him the chance to get out on the water. But she took the brave step of talking to me about her difficulties and I am so proud the Trust can make it possible for children like him to feel the sheer joy I did when I first set foot on that sailing boat!”
The Trust’s work also includes efforts to support palliative care, such as trips for people with a cancer diagnosis, some of whom describe this as being one of their t final wishes.
The excitement, elation and also the sense of calm brought to all the visitors is something that Emily feels is tangible. “Even those visitors who are unable to express in words how they feel, show it in the smile on their faces and their more relaxed posture,” she says. “It’s clear to see that a simple half-day trip on a cruiser means so much to them.”
It is not only the rewards of volunteering that Emily values so much, but the wealth of knowledge, experience and encouragement that she receives from her fellow staff and volunteers whom she would otherwise never have met. She divides her time between the Trust and her husband Ben, children Jack, 15, and Elsie, 6, as well as her dream day job at the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club.
“My next aim is to qualify as a sailing instructor,” she says. “Hopefully I can inspire more women to take the helm and pass on the satisfaction and confidence that being part of the Trust has brought me.”
“I hope to inspire more women to take the helm and pass on the confidence”