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Sailing for All
Club members at Donaghadee Sailing Club are overjoyed at the news that they will be able to build a new state of the art clubhouse. Sport Northern Ireland has approved a Lottery funding award of £460,000 towards the project; it will also be supported by additional grant support of £5000 through Ard’s Borough Council’s Sports Development budget.
This funding will enable the sailing club to replace the existing club house at Shore Street with a more modern and vibrant facility offering changing, training, and meeting facilities for a range of complementary water based sports including sailing and kayaking.
Speaking on the funding, Sport Northern Ireland Chairman Professor Eric Saunders OBE commented: “We are delighted to be supporting this excellent project. The club provides a tremendous service making sailing accessible to all; this new facility will enable them to build further on their great work.”
The club’s membership has increased significantly in recent years and their commitment to making dinghy sailing accessible to all is clearly visible through their, Friday Night Come and Try It sessions, its position as an RYA Training Centre, Volvo Champion Club and Sailability centre for the disabled at Foundation level.
At a recent AGM the Commodore Rosemary McKibben, praised the members of the sub committee for their hard work in preparing the business case and managing the application process. Speaking on plans for the new facility she commented: “When the new club house is finished in 2009 it will be a distinctive feature, welcoming to all, on Shore Street in Donaghadee. The new building will help secure the club’s future for the next generation and carry forward the long sailing tradition in the district by delivering water sports to the whole community”.
Total project cost £750,000 |
