Mix 120 young people with special needs, a handful of dedicated volunteers and a (very tiny) patch of water; what do you get? Pendle Community High School sailing week. Bolton Sailing Club hosted PCHS sailing week. Volunteers from the club provided the support for the young people and showed them how to sail using the Access Dinghy’s and Oppie’s. On Wednesday Debbie Blachford (head of the RYA sailability team)brought along the RYA Sailability ‘Film crew’ to capture the days sailing which is soon to be screened on Sailability TV via the internet.
Thursday -otherwise known as the ‘Glamour Day’-saw several high profile celebrities show us how it’s really done! Mike Goulding(around the world sailor) and Leigh McMillan (Olympic Tornado sailor)came and gave their time and skills to taking the young people sailing. However, their skills were overshadowed by Lucy Siegle’s (off the BBC 1 show)prowess in an Access dinghy!
Everyone had a great day and numerous pictures were taken, T-shirts signed and gifts arranged. The week has raised the profile of Bolton Sailing Club nationally. We are now not only recognised as a strong racing club but acknowledged for our hard work within the wider sailing community.
My thanks go to all of the people who gave their time freely to help make this week the success it has been.
Warren Price
(Rear Commodore)
Photos by Warren Price and Andy Bury
