Double joy for Swarkestone SC in Derbyshire OnBoard Awards 

Swarkestone SC and club volunteer Carl Martin land 2011 Deryshire OnBoard prizes

A volunteer sailing instructor from South Derbyshire and Swarkestone Sailing Club are celebrating after receiving top regional Royal Yachting Association (RYA) awards for their commitment to introducing young people in Derbyshire to sailing.

Swarkestone SC’s Carl Martin was named Derbyshire RYA OnBoard Volunteer of the Year while Swarkestone SC picked up Club of the Year at the region’s 2011 RYA OnBoard Awards.

Carl, who started out as a fisherman watching from the banks before deciding there was more fun to be had on the water, was introduced to sailing six years ago after taking part in some Adult Participation taster days Swarkestone SC was running. He has since become a great instructor who has given up a huge amount of his time to work with local schools and adult participation.

Meanwhile, Swarkestone SC is helping lead the way in engaging local youngsters in sailing from an early age, whilst also giving their families the chance to take an active role in club activities, after receiving its official RYA OnBoard club status this summer.

Having hosted regular introductory sailing taster sessions for kids from a number of local schools, including Sinfin Community and Chellaston Academy, for the last three years, Swarkestone SC is now in the early stages of working with no fewer than four more local schools, including Trent College in Long Eaton, through RYA OnBoard.

A key development in Swarkestone SC’s OnBoard activities is to make sailing inclusive to all the local community to encourage a sustainable flow of youngsters into the club’s junior section, by bringing sailing into curriculum time with its partner schools. Those kids who want to take sailing further can do easily and affordably.

This year alone the club has welcomed some 140 OnBoard youngsters on its waters, with the aim of 200 in 2012.

Volunteer of the Year Carl said: “The satisfaction I get from teaching people to sail now means more to me than words can explain. Every time I step in a boat or classroom and see smiling faces being a volunteer becomes very satisfying. My only regret is that I should have started sailing when I was at school.”

Mike Parker, who heads up Swarkestone SC’s OnBoard activity, added: “Swarkestone SC has a good reputation with the wider community, with both local and public schools using our base to try sailing with OnBoard.

"The club has some great opportunities to encourage participation for all the family with adult, junior and Sailability sessions each week. All these different groups have very good qualified instructors just like Carl, and we have enthusiastic club volunteers who are passionate about supporting these activities.”

OnBoard is the RYA’s successful nationwide grassroots initiative providing low cost sailing and windsurfing opportunities for local school and youth groups. Through OnBoard, the kids’ families are also introduced to the sport and given the chance to get involved.

More than 950 youngsters in Derbyshire have enjoyed their first taste of sailing through the county’s four OnBoard clubs this year, with almost 3,200 Derbyshire and Staffordshire kids in total introduced to the sport since OnBoard was launched in the partnership in 2007. Almost 600 of those youngsters are now sailing regularly.

Brett Cokayne, RYA OnBoard Development Officer for Derbyshire and Staffordshire, said: “Volunteers are the foundation of RYA OnBoard and if it wasn’t for their time, dedication and commitment fewer youngsters would be able to get out on the water for the first time and experience what sailing and windsurfing can offer.”