Bay receive sporting legacy windfall

SAILING

Herne Bay Sailing Club are celebrating after receiving a £50,000 windfall from a Sport England sporting legacy fund.

The funding will go on replacing the club’s ageing and outdated boatshed and training gear storage facilities while it will also allow a disabled access path to be created from the sun deck to the promenade ramp.

The club is one of more than 1,300 across the country to benefit from National Lottery funding through the Inspired Faci l i t ies Olympic and Paralympic legacy programme.

He r n e Bay’s joint Commodores, Steve and Jane Lee, said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment, which means that we can replace and upgrade our facilities to continue to develop our aim to make sailing affordable and available to all.”

A spokesman for the Royal Yachting Association, which supported the bid, said: “Herne Bay Sailing Club is a fantastic, family-friendly club dedicated to getting people of all ages out on the water.

“The club has worked closely with the Royal Yachting Association in recent years to promote regular activity on the water through the OnBoard programme for local school children and the Go Sailing programme for adult club members.

“Both programmes encourage people to sail regularly with good tuition and safety cover, providing the opportunity to progress their sailing in a safe and fun environment.

“The Sport England Inspired Facilities funding will not only benefit existing club members but also increase the clubs’ capacity allowing more local people to enjoy sailing.”

Sport England’s Chair, Nick Bitel, said: “A year on from the Olympics, this National Lottery Investment is helping us to deliver a lasting sporting legacy in Herne Bay.

“We look forward to supporting many more clubs in the South East who play such a vital role in grassroots sport.”

MP Sir Roger Gale, said: “This investment by Sport England into Herne Bay Sailing Club is welcome. There has always been a strong sailing tradition in the area and this money is an investment for today and for the future. We’ll see people new to the sport training in top class facilities.”