We’re all in: Apply for funding to boost volunteering at your club
RYA Northern Ireland are supporting clubs in their volunteering efforts with a volunteering scheme- ‘We’re All In’.
‘We’re All In’ allows clubs to apply for funding between £200-£500 which will be used to ‘upskill’ volunteers through training, as well as supporting a volunteer day where members come together to carry out essential volunteer work to help kick-off the sailing season.
We are aware that volunteers are the backbone of sailing in Northern Ireland, so one of the goals of our five-year strategy, Navigating The Future, is to “Inspire people to give their time”.
We are consistently told by clubs and affiliates that they do not have enough volunteers to achieve their goals and that their current operation is in jeopardy due to the few volunteers who do the lion's share of the work. This scheme aims to tackle this problem and support clubs across the country.
‘We’re All In’ in 2024
In 2024, ‘We’re All In’ was run as a pilot project across four clubs. Namely, Strangford Lough Yacht Club, Donaghadee Sailing Club, County Antrim Yacht Club and East Down Yacht Club.
These clubs ran volunteering days which were attended by over 100 members. You can read more about each of these volunteering days here.
‘We’re All In’ was a huge success and volunteering has been seen to be hugely beneficial at helping build a better sense of community within clubs.
Commodore of East Down Yacht Club, Keith Carr, commented: “It was a great feeling and worked well as an event and was well supported by our exec. We could gauge volunteer skills and they could learn about the roles.”
A new EDYC member added: “We were very impressed. It was great to be shown around the club boats and learn about some of the attributes of the kit. We feel a part of it.”
How to apply
You can apply for ‘We’re All In’ funding here.
All applications must be completed by the 15th of January 2025.
If you have any questions related to the scheme or your club’s application, please contact the RYANI Workforce Development Officer, Mary Martin, by emailing mary.martin@rya.org.uk