Individual Grant Scheme launched to support access to sailing in Northern Ireland
RYA Northern Ireland has launched a brand-new Individual Grant Scheme.
The Individual Grand Scheme is a bursary designed to improve access in sailing for sailors or coaches struggling to start or continue their journey in the sport due to financial barriers.
The funding has been made available as a combination of £1807 raised from a raffle at the RYA Northern Ireland 50th Anniversary Dinner as well as money that RYA Northern Ireland has committed to help launch the scheme.
Anyone in Northern Ireland can apply for the bursary, including coaches, participants, instructors, and officials, but priority will be given to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, women and girls and those with a disability or long-term health condition.
Examples of how the funding may help an individual may include access to courses, equipment, specialist qualifications not available in Northern Ireland, sponsorship of a club membership or funding to attend an event abroad.
You can read more information about the fund on the FAQ document.
The need for the Individual Grant Scheme was identified as a result of the work being conducted to deliver the Navigating the Future strategy.
RYA Northern Ireland CEO Greg Yarnall commented: “Sailing, unfairly, can be seen as a sport for a certain demographic. When we set out our Navigating the Future strategy in 2023, we made a commitment to debunk this. We aimed to achieve this by having a strategic focus in ensuring the sport became increasingly diverse and by celebrating raising awareness of the people, from all backgrounds, that have found a passion in sailing as a participant themselves or in a role that helps to make the sport happen.
“The grant scheme is ultimately about improving access to the sport and helping to remove some of the financial barriers for people and we hope the grant scheme will lead to more people staying engaged in the sport.
“As an organisation, we remain heavily reliant on funding support from a small number of organisations. We recognise the inherent risk that comes with that, and we are exploring ways in which we can diversify the funding coming into the sport. We will be actively working across the sailing community and beyond to continue to add to this fund, so it remains a valuable resource for years to come.”
Applications for the individual grant scheme can be made here.
There will be opportunities to apply for funding in January, March, May, July, September and November, with the deadline for each of these funding opportunities being the final day of the month prior.
The panel who will decide on the allocation of funding will be led by the Development sub committee of the Board which is made up from volunteers, coaches, instructors and officials from across Northern Ireland.
If you have any other questions, please send them to ryani@rya.org.uk and we will come back to you.
We also welcome donations to the fund, please get in touch with greg.yarnall@rya.org.uk if you would consider a donation.