The Gwennili Trust Annual Report 2008
Despite some cancellations in June, this has been a record season. Our mix of
Day Sails, Cruises, RYA Courses and Blind Week provided 85 days at sea and an
exhilarating sailing experience for 291 people with disabilities, of whom 41
were wheelchair dependant. RYA certificates were awarded to 6 Competent Crew.
In addition, we provided RYA Competent Crew training for several members of the
crew of the BLESMA chartered On Deck yacht who competed in the Atlantic
Challenge race from Cape Verde Island to Barbados in November.
Blind Week was superbly hosted by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club from their
Falmouth base with a record turnout of 28 yachts and 58 Visually Impaired
sailors. The Trust provided much of the foul weather clothing and 3 yachts with
crew, one chartered and two owned by Trustees. The weather was not kind but all
participants had a great time and are looking forward to Blind Week 2009 which
will be Southampton based.
The Trust’s client base continues to expand, now including some NHS Trust
partnerships, and next season we look forward to the participation of Hampshire
Youth Options. RYA Sailability continue their excellent support by steering new
clients in our direction.
The programme for 2009 is in the planning stage and will be placed on our
website www.gwtrust.org.uk We have decided to set up a bursary scheme for those
clients who need some help, and the rules for this will appear with the
programme.
Our Chief Instructor Bill Roper has completed his last season. Bill has done an
outstanding job over the past 10 years and greatly enhanced our reputation. We
are enormously grateful for his voluntary contribution of time and expertise,
and are delighted that he is to remain as a Trustee. In his place we are very
pleased to welcome Ken Walker, Principal and Chief Instructor of the sailing
school Heave 2. Ken has most generously undertaken to provide us with 2 weeks of
RYA instruction each season free of charge.
We could not achieve all that we do without the voluntary contributions of time
and talent given by our Skippers and Mates, and we continue to be hugely
appreciative of all that they provide.
Finally, we are immensely grateful for the support of our donors, without whose
generosity we could not continue to meet our objects. This year they have
included Trinity House, The Army Benevolent Fund, RYA Sailability, The Mercers
Company, The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, the Worshipful Company of
Shipwrights, the Skinners Company – Lady Neville Charity, Frensham Pond
Sailability, Mike Ellis, Peter Stibard, David Harris and Tony Pheby.
C.W. Williams, OBE
Chairman
C.W. Williams, OBE Chairman
www.gwtrust.org.uk
2006 Annual report
2005 Annual report
2004 Annual report