Irish Sailing is delighted to see the impact of the Women on the Water Grants, one of which was awarded to Bantry Bay SC. Over the summer, the club rolled out a wide-ranging programme of activities designed to encourage more women and girls onto the water, with Senior Instructor Maeve leading the delivery.
One of the highlights of the summer was the HER Outdoors event, hosted on Thursday 14 August at the club. The event attracted 50 women and girls, each of whom enjoyed an hour-long sailing experience in Quests and Squibs between 12pm and 6pm.
As part of their outreach, the club made a special effort to connect with Ukrainian women and girls living locally, resulting in 11 Ukrainians taking part. Their involvement has already had a lasting impact:
- One participant has completed her Day Skipper Theory qualification and is now building her time on the water.
- Another has successfully completed two six-week beginner and improver dinghy courses, and is encouraging others to get involved.
The club also used the grant to expand access to sailing for people with disabilities, hosting groups from Bantry and Dunmanway. Although photographs cannot be shared, these sessions, attended predominantly by women were a positive and inclusive addition to the summer programme.
The grant has also supported the training of two young women (aged 16 and 17) as Assistant Instructors. Both are now preparing for their pre-entry assessments with Glandore at the end of August. While the club was able to cover the cost of their assistant instructor course, further funding is required to help them take the next step in their instructor journey.
It is great to see the impact of the Women on the Water Grants coming into effect across the country and we hope more clubs are encouraged to do the same.