Gosford-based Sailability is ramping up its efforts to bring the pleasure of sailing to children, youth and adults with a wide range of disabilities thanks to $8,000 in funding from the NSW Government.
The funds, secured through the Community Building Partnerships Program, will be used to provide floating ramps.
Sailability Gosford Branch President Randell Laborde said the money would make a big difference.
“The ramps will be a fantastic addition as storage for three of our sailboats was lost,” he said.
“We will be able to keep our sailboats safer, closer to where they are embarked from, and more accessible.
“This will reduce the amount of heavy lifting that our volunteers currently have to do.
“We hope that we can expand our sailing opportunities to people with disabilities who want to experience the joys of sailing.”
The new floating boat ramps will be purchased and installed adjacent current ramps.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch MP the equipment would help improve accessibility and time efficiencies for Sailability volunteers.
“A big thank you to the volunteers at Sailability for the work you do to get your Hansa 303s into the water and back out again,” she said.
“The work you are doing helps to bring real freedom on the water – and real joy on the water – to people with a wide array of disabilities.
“Sailing at multiple Paralympics, I know the absolute thrill that being out on the water can bring and I am so excited that this funding will allow people of all accessibility levels to get out on the water.
“It’s fabulous to see that the addition of these simple floating devices will help reduce the time spent setting up and storing sailboats, giving sailors more time to enjoy our beautiful coastal waters.”
The Community Building Partnership program has funded more than 19,700 community projects since it commenced in 2009.