Latest News

1.  Rutland Sailability is awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

2.  Rutland Sailability at Luffenham Heath Golf Club

3.  Calling all sailors for RYA Sailability Multi Class Regatta 2010

4.  Sarah Outen Supports Rutland Sailability at Oakham Museum Theatre

5.  Raise Funds for Rutland Sailability (without spending money)

6.  I’m Sorry I Haven't a Clue!

7.  Supporters Day - Saturday 26 September

Rutland Sailability is awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Rutland Sailability sets out to allow people with disabilities to expand their horizons and to enjoy the freedom which sailing offers in a life where many freedoms have been removed. We often celebrate the achievements of our disabled members, but very rarely do the people who make all this happen receive proper recognition for all that they do. Without them Rutland Sailability would not be able to operate.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises the unsung and unstinting work that is done by our volunteers and we congratulate them and thank them for everything they do. This Award is duly deserved.

The formal announcement says it all ……..

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Rutland volunteers recognised

by The Queen with prestigious Award

 Rutland Sailability at Rutland Sailing Club, Edith Weston, has been announced as one of 103 UK volunteering groups to win this year’s The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups.

The prestigious National Honour recognises outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others.  It sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged of the highest standard.

Rutland Sailability has received the Award for enabling people with disabilities to enjoy the freedom of sailing.

Winners of this year’s Award were selected from 341 groups nominated by members of the public who have been helped personally or witnessed the benefits of a group’s work in their community.

Rutland Sailability will receive a certificate signed by the Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, presented by Her Majesty's representative in Rutland, The Lord Lieutenant for Rutland, Dr. Laurence Howard, at a special ceremony.  The group has also received an invitation for representatives to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

Speaking of their success, Tricia McNair from Rutland Sailability said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded this prestigious honour in recognition of the work we do here at Rutland Water.  Our volunteer helpers work all year round to help people with disabilities to sail and to enjoy the sociable aspect of their club at Rutland Water”

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Main Award Committee Chair and former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said,

“Outstanding volunteer groups across the UK all too often go without recognition for the truly amazing work they do, despite the vital part they play in helping bind our communities together.  It’s a great pleasure to celebrate the efforts of Rutland Sailability with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and help raise awareness of all they do for the benefit of others.”

More than 850 groups around the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man have now won The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, over the eight years since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

For details of all this year’s Award winners and information on how to nominate a group, visit www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice, where a nomination form can be downloaded.

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About The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

In 2002, in celebration of Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community was established. Its purpose is to recognise groups of individuals who are giving their time freely for the benefit of others. It is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon groups of this kind and is equivalent in status to the MBE. As such, The Queen’s Award not only serves to provide recognition of volunteer groups, but also demonstrates the high respect in which volunteering is held.

The Award is overseen by the Office of Civil Society (OCS). As part of the Cabinet Office, the OCS leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling it to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities.

Groups must be nominated for the Award – self nomination is not permitted. A group (two or more people) can be nominated if it is based in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The group has to have been volunteering for the benefit of people in the UK or overseas for at least three years and more than half its members must be volunteers who have the right of residence in the UK. Groups solely concerned with fundraising for charitable purposes are not eligible.

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Rutland Sailability at Luffenham Heath Golf Club

The 2010 Captain of Luffenham Heath Golf Club, Michael Pring, very kindly nominated Rutland Sailability as his charity for his Am Am Captain’s Charity Day held on Friday May 21^st.

Rutland Sailability members supported the event by displaying some of our boats on the course, putting on a photograph exhibition of what we do, helping to run the tombola and out at the 9^th green inviting players to try to win a bottle of whisky by guessing the length of a hank of marine rope.

Over 100 golfers in teams of four teed off on a very warm and sunny day and all seemed to enjoy the course and the conditions. The standard of golf must be left to others more knowledgeable than a simple sailor!

At the prize giving (pictured right), Michael Pring spoke of his support for Rutland Sailability and in reply Chairman, Trish McNair, thanked him for his generosity towards Rutland Sailability in selecting us as his charity and all entrants for their support and interest in what we do. She thanked all the Rutland Sailability members for their efforts through a long day in bringing the message about Sailability to all those taking part. She announced that the funds raised would be devoted to replacing and maintaining our fleet of boats and training for members. Finally, she thanked the staff at the Golf Club for their help and support during the day.

Further pictures are available in the Photo Gallery

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Calling all sailors for RYA Sailability Multi Class Regatta 2010

This year's event is once again being held at Rutland Sailing Club from 13th - 15th August.

The Regatta is open to all racing sailors with disabilities who race in the following classes: Access, Artemis, 2.4mR, Challenger, SKUD, Sonar and Laser Stratos.

The event kicks-starts with RYA race training for both beginners and more experienced sailors on Friday, followed by an opening ceremony and barbeque for all helpers and competitors.  A full day's racing on Saturday will be followed by a Regatta Dinner on Saturday evening.  On Sunday all the fleets come together for a giant race, with the boat managing the best time over the course on handicap crowned Champion of Champions.  The weekend culminates in a prize-giving presentation with prizes for the top boats in the races. So whatever your ability from first-time racer to Paralympic level, the Regatta has something for you.

Debbie Blachford, RYA Sailability Manager says:  "The Multi Class Regatta has been hugely successful since its inception in 2007. Last year we saw some 94 competitors enter and we hope to see even more people and boats out on the water this year.  It's a great event to get all the different classes together and for people to meet up with old friends and to make new ones".

Entry forms and Notice of Race are available to download at RYA MultiClass 2010

Joanna Bentley is the event co-ordinator and can be contacted on m: 07789 991603 or e-Mail joannabentley@mac.com for enquiries.

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Raise Funds for Rutland Sailability (without spending money)

This is a new charity search engine where you can raise funds for your cause, simply by surfing the Web! When you search online using www.easysearch.org.uk , you'll raise funds for your chosen cause with every search you make.
 

As well as helping you to raise funds, www.easysearch.org.uk search results, because they have combined the results from several major search engines - Yahoo!, MSN Windows Live Search, Ask.com, MIVA and many more. www.easysearch.org.uk  tracks down the most relevant and accurate search results from across the Web, which means you'll find what you're looking for quickly and easily every time - in one 'easy' search!

www.easysearch.org.uk is completely free to use, so this is a great way to support RUTLAND SAILABILITY - just by searching the Web as you do already! You can even search for RUTLAND SAILABILITY as well as anything else of interest - in fact anything at all which is available to view online - using www.easysearch.org.uk will raise funds for RUTLAND SAILABILITY.

Why not make this your homepage?
 

ALSO for those who like shopping online RUTLAND SAILABILITY is now registered with www.easyfundraising.org.uk This means that you can raise funds for RUTLAND SAILABILITY by registering with www.easyfundraising.org.uk in order to access the goods and services you require. The site provides you with all the suppliers for you to choose from, and also shows you how much each of those suppliers will contribute to RUTLAND SAILABILITY for each purchase you make from them via this site.

All you need do to take advantage of this opportunity is go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk enter RUTLAND SAILABILITY as your chosen cause then complete the simple registration document, for which you will be asked to provide a password then each time you are shopping, or even just shopping around, you just login to www.easyfundraising.org.uk using the same password and by using easy search to access the site, you will be contributing even more to our much-needed fundraising.

Rutland Sailability unique web addresses for the above sites are:
 

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/rutlandsailability and

http://rutlandsailability.easysearch.org.uk

SPREAD THE WORD to everyone you know. You do not need to be a member of RUTLAND SAILABILITY in order to help with our fundraising this way.

Thank you to all our supporters who have been using the Easysearch and Easyfunding sites in support of RS.  The total amount raised through these sites for the quarter ending 31.12.209, was £22.00.  Please remember, especially those of you who have not yet registered, it costs the user absolutely nothing to use these sites, and if all RS supporters registered in support of Rutland Sailability, a significant amount of funding could be realised over a year.

For further information contact Ros on 07957 223 039 or gartref@hotmail.co.uk

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I’m Sorry I Haven't a Clue!

On Wednesday evening 20 January, over fifty people braved the winter blasts to gather at The White Hart in Ufford for the annual Friends of Rutland Sailability Quiz Night.

A group of local Friends of Rutland Sailability organised and helped with the evening, guiding the teams to their tables and selling tickets for the raffle.

Refreshments were provided by the pub manager Ben Larter and his team, and the bar staff were kept very busy!

‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue!’ was an appropriate title for a sort of pub quiz, complete (for those who listen to the BBC radio quiz of that name) with Samantha who kept the score!

Everyone was a winner when it came to having some fun, meeting new people and promoting Friends of RS.  Over £400 was raised for The Friends of Rutland Sailability Fund to support the activities of Rutland Sailability.

If you would like to know more about becoming a Friend of Rutland Sailability, do call Mike Baumber on 01780-740289 or e.mail:  michael.baumber@btinternet.com

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Supporters Day - Saturday 26 September 2009

Our annual Supporters Day was held at Rutland Water on Saturday 26^th September 2009.  The aims of the day were:

·        To say a big ‘thank you’ to the many organisations and individuals who contribute to the club

·        To show them how their contributions help transform the lives of our members

·        To enlist their help in extending the reach of Rutland Sailability

The day dawned dry and warm, with only a light breeze.  We had over 40 visitors throughout the day, representing organisations as diverse as Rotary, the Lions, and both Stamford School and Stamford High School.  A group of Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars from 5 different countries came along learn more about the Sailability movement.  For the first time ‘Friends of Rutland Sailability’ were also able to see the club in action.

During the morning, visitors were able to see a static display of a cross section of our fleet.  Malcolm Kirk, one of our Senior Instructors, explained how new members are trained and can progress from simple single-handed dinghies to Paralympic class boats. 

Our supporters were able to see a typical, Saturday morning general sailing session.  Alongside this was a race training demonstration run by one of our founder members, John Morley.

After lunch, the more adventurous of our visitors were encouraged to go sailing in two-handed dinghies with members of our racing team.  The less adventurous went for a gentle cruise in one of several larger keelboats in our fleet.

At the end of the day, Ian Harrison, our Honorary President and organiser of the Access World Championships at Rutland Water next June, took the opportunity to brief our visitors on his plans for the event.  We will be seeking the support of all our friends in making this event the showcase for disabled sailing in the UK next year.

Many thanks to all our Supporters who help make Rutland Sailability one of the premier organisations for disabled sport in the UK.

More pictures are available in the Photo Gallery