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Home
Peter
Bisson - Chairman
"Whitefriars sailing 4 disabled exists to provide sailing to as many
disabled people as possible regardless of disability, age, race or creed."
We
are based at Whitefriars Sailing Club in the Cotswolds Water Park, a few
miles south of Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Disabled groups come from
near and far to sail with us; we even have an annual visit from a group
of children who are suffering as a result of the Chenobyl disaster.
Our facilities are excellent: We currently have use of 12 dinghies which cater for a wide-range of disabilities; from wheelchair bound individuals with limited function to people who are just getting old but still get a buzz out of sailing. There are hoists to help people on and off the dinghies, and a number of seating configurations to suit most people. For the less able we can fit servo-assist mechanisms for steering and sail control, these can be operated by blow-suck controls if necessary. For the less adventurous our dedicated volunteers are glad to go with individuals, to assist, sail for them, or just for comfort and advice.
We take safety very seriously: Disabled and able-bodied volunteers have gained power-boat licenses to assist anybody who is in difficulty.
There
are currently about 60 members of the club. In addition there are 27 day
groups who regularly visit us throughout the season. We meet most Wednesdays
and Thursdays between May and November, and also have club days every
1st and 3rd Saturday throughout the season. Throughout the season there
are races and we encourage anybody who is interested in this to get involved.
This site has been developed to provide information for disabled people, their helpers, sailors who are interested in helping, and of course sponsors! We are a registered charity and rely on the generosity of sponsors to achieve our ambitions to expand. The site is also for members and disabled groups to find up to date information from the club.
I also keep more photos at this site: http://picasaweb.google.com/peterwebsir
