Keith helps disabled sailors take to the water all round Wales

Keith Rollinson has succeeded in increasing the amount of disabled sailors able to take to the water in North Wales, now his role has been expanded to include all of Wales.

Rollinson, aged 63, from Welshpool, started his campaign to increase the access to sailing when his wife was diagnosed with Muscular Schlerosis 12 years ago, but since then he has seen the Sailability scheme go from strength to strength.

Having spent the last three years helping clubs in North Wales become much more accessible through improving facilities and running coaching schemes, he has now been appointed as the Sailability co-ordinator for all of Wales for clubs to get advice on how to increase disabled sailing.

"What I do is really just to promote disabled sailing and helping clubs to set things up including where to look for funding to improve facilities," explained Rollinson.

"It is about taking a lot of little steps, getting some people out on the water who would not be able to enjoy sailing if we did not put a few things in place. It is worth it just to see the joy on people's faces after they have been out on the water for 20 minutes.

"This can include people in a wheelchair, partially sighted, cerebral palsy, or arthritis can also be part of it, anything that means people are not as agile – it a question of putting the facilities and volunteers in place helping people to enjoy sailing.

"At my own club Clywedog, we have become a centre for disabled sailing after getting grants for a hoist and various other facilities.

"Clubs need disabled access, toilets, some simple things that club committees would not think of to make places more friendly for people with a disability.

"On the water you just need a dinghy with a centre board or keel which is down so they need to be able to access the boat in three or four feet of water. At Clywedog we have a landing craft and a landing island with a hoist, but there are also Trimarans which are controlled by the sailor from the centre.

"We have two schools for pupils with learning disabilities who use Clywedog. There is one autistic lad who is very bright, a good sailor, who has joined the club and is now sailing with our cadets.

"Sailability is about making our clubs as inclusive as possible."

While Rollinson is now the main contact in Wales, there is plenty of advice for interested clubs on the RYA website at http://www.rya.org.uk/sailability/ . Rollinson can be contacted either through Sailability, Welsh Sailing, the Clywedog club or Sport Powys.

He is a RYA senior instructor who runs the cadet club at Clywedog. His influence in getting schemes off the ground in North Wales is behind the decision to make him the main force for Sailablity throughout Wales.

"Sailability is a great scheme and we are lucky to have someone with the experience and knowledge of Keith to drive this forward in Wales," said Welsh Sailing chief executive Steve Morgan.

"Clubs can get funds and grants, it is just a question of knowing what to ask for and where to look. Keith can help with that.

"Sailing is an excellent sport for all ages and abilities, with welcoming clubs throughout Wales that have a fantastic camaraderie for everyone to join in with. Keith can help expand those opportunities."

For further media information:

Hamish Stuart
RYA Wales regional communicator
Tel: 07914 873451
Email: Hamish@score-media.co.uk
www.rya.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

· The RYA is the national body for all forms of recreational, competitive and professional boating. It represents dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sportsboats, powerboat racing, windsurfing, inland cruising and personal watercraft. The WYA (Welsh Yachting Association) is the national body in Wales.

· The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters. There are an estimated further 500,000 boat owners nationally who are members of RYA affiliated clubs and class associations.

· The RYA also sets and maintains a recognised standard for recreational boat training through a network of 2,220 RYA Recognised Training Centres in over 20 countries. On average 155,000 people per year complete RYA training courses.

· The RYA is committed to promoting all forms of boating and making them accessible to everyone. For more information please refer to the web site www.rya.org.uk and www.welshsailing.org .

· RYA Sailability is the leading UK charity for disabled sailing and is the official charity of the RYA. Registered Charity Number: 1084351

· You can find the RYA at RYA House, Ensign Way, Hamble, Southampton, SO31 4YA. The WYA is at 8 Llys Y Mor, Plas Menai, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 1UE. www.welshsailing.org .