Docklands Youngsters all OnBoard for Royal Visit

HRH The Princess Royal chats to the youngsters about the RYA's OnBoard programme © Purple Flame Media Ltd

Some 80 children demonstrated their sailing and kayaking skills to Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal when she visited Docklands Sailing and Watersports (DSWC) Centre on 28 July to help celebrate the tenth anniversary of the RYA's OnBoard programme in her role as President of the RYA.

On arrival Her Royal Highness was met by DSWC manager Judi Sanders, water operations manager Benjamin Davis and chief instructor Phil Holman, and from the RYA sport development manager Duncan Truswell and regional development officer Steve Mitchell, who together showed the Princess around and described the work of the centre.

Her Royal Highness spent a lot of time chatting to groups of children and their instructors between their sailing and kayaking sessions on Millwall Outer Dock.

The party then moved into the centre where the Princess met local dignitaries, trustees, charity representatives, parents and volunteers, before unveiling a plaque to commemorate the visit and signing the visitors' book.

RYA regional development manager Steve Mitchell said: "Today's activities are part of a the summer schedule at DSWC. Nearly 100 youngsters will experience sailing for the first time during this week's sailing programme.

"It's been a great day, and good for Her Royal Highness to see all the fantastic work that's going on here. DSWC was one of the first wave of RYA OnBoard centres and through its work with schools, youth clubs and community groups thousand of youngsters have had the opportunity to go sailing for the first time and continue their sailing after school or at week-ends. "

Located in the heart of London's Docklands at the west end of Millwall outer dock, DSWC is based in an award-winning purpose built facility with great views from the upstairs bar over the dock. DSWC is an RYA recognised training centre, and delivers courses in sailing, windsurfing and powerboating under the RYA scheme.

DSWC chief instructor Phil Holman said: "It's been fantastic having Her Royal Highness here today. It shows the importance of the centre as an inner city sailing and watersports venue, and I'm hoping this will help to bring us not only more youngsters and people who want to become involved in watersports, but also more funders who want to engage with us and with accessible sailing and watersports across the UK."

"Her Royal Highness got an idea of what we do here and why it's really important for us that kids get into watersports and to stick with it as a sport that can give them a huge amount of enjoyment in a location that would be surprising to most."

Phil explained: "Profits from corporate events are channelled back into our activities, along with a lot of help from generous sponsors and charities such as the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation and the Johnnie Johnson Trust, to provide youngsters from a wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds the opportunity to start and progress in watersports. Some who started out with us are already going on to compete at national and international level, and some are here helping out having become instructors themselves."

Duncan Truswell, RYA sports development manager, concluded: "Today is just a way of the RYA saying thanks and recognising the contribution that everyone involved here has made to OnBoard: the charities, the massive team of volunteers who make all this happen, and the staff at DSWC who all go the extra mile to get the best for the kids of this area."

Run by the RYA, OnBoard is a grass roots programme which introduces sailing and windsurfing to young people aged 8 to 18, through schools, youth groups and training centres.

Over a ten year period OnBoard has introduced more than 500,000 children to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10% of them into regular participants.

For more information about how to get involved in sailing visit www.rya.org.uk/go/onboard