Sailability gets £5k cash boost to complete vital accessibility work at Sussex Yacht Club

Local sailing charity, Sailability, has been awarded a share of a £1million fund from Virgin Unite after the charity was nominated for its work to improve accessibility at the Sussex Yacht Club in Shoreham-by-Sea.

The £5,000 grant from Virgin Unite – the independent non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group – was part of the foundation’s Local Legends fund, which celebrates and supports community- based charities.

Awarded to Sussex Sailability, the charity arm of the Sussex Yacht Club, which provides sailing opportunities for disabled people, this was one of 32 grants made at the end of 2023 to charities nominated by Virgin Atlantic employees who had a direct voluntary connection to a charity.As the home to Sailability, Sussex Yacht Club’s current clubhouse had accessibility infrastructure built into the design of the building. The Virgin Unite grant has now supported the charity to complete its’ changing and first aid room by enabling the purchase and installation of several key items of equipment, including an electronically controlled rise and fall bed, an electronic hoist, a rise and fall wash hand basin, an emergency portable stretcher for outside use, as well as updates to first aid equipment.

Derek Copeman, Commodore of Sussex Yacht Club said: “Sailability is reliant on external fundraising, so we are really pleased to have been selected to receive this grant from Virgin Unite Foundation, which is supporting our efforts to remove all barriers to sailing. We are incredibly grateful to the Club Member, an employee of Virgin Atlantic, who nominated us and put a great deal of work into completing the application.

“We have designed our clubhouse from the ground up, with an overriding aim to go above and beyond the legal requirement for accessibility. It is our mission to be able to offer a door-to-shore service where a disabled person can get from the front door of their home into our clubhouse independently, without the need to negotiate steps and other barriers to mobility. The new equipment is another further step towards achieving that.”

Holly Branson, Chair Virgin Unite and Virgin Chief Purpose and Vision Officer said: "It was our people from across our UK businesses who inspired us to launch Local Legends through Virgin Unite, as a £1,000,000 fund to support charities that are tackling unacceptable issues in the UK. What’s more, the community-based charities are nominated by the wonderful people at Virgin who volunteer for them. We opened the first round in June, and we are delighted to announce that 31 charities will receive a £5,000 grant in this round! The nominated charities are tackling issues such as poverty prevention and relief, education, health, advancing human rights, investing in equality and diversity, and supporting people in need. How amazing!"

The development to Sussex Yacht Club’s clubhouse was completed in 2021 to allow for Adur and Worthing Councils to build vital flood defences. Despite the flood defence work having faced delays, the Sussex Yacht Club is committed to completing the external surfaces to the club once it is possible, with accessibility remaining of paramount importance across all designs.