SAILABILITY is a magical word in the ear of around 20,000 disabled people across the UK.
It conjures a magical escape from reality for some who would otherwise be wheelchair-bound.
Go down to the water’s edge of Rudyard Lake on certain days and you will see for yourself how much this charity means to a lot of less able among us.
The smile on their faces and excited movements on the variety of sailing craft says it all.
The Sailability charity was founded in 1995, and has since become affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association, operating on 150 RYA recognised sites including Rudyard.
HRH The Princess Royal, president of the Royal Yachting Association and patron of RYA Sailability, said: “I am proud that RYA Sailability is making such a sustained effort to bring the enormous benefits of sailing to the widest possible community.
“Sailing perhaps more then any other sport brings enormous physical, social and psychological benefits. I am sure that everyone who enjoys sailing, in whatever form, will support this most important charity”.
Rudyard Sailability has been making the headlines over the past 12 months in its fight to replace its nearderelict boathouse with a secure modern purpose-built HQ.
It’s exactly a year since a Government inspector went against the decision of the district council to refuse permission for the development.
Since then Rudyard Lake Limited, which operates a licence to run the lake for British Waterways, has put its own oar in and steadfastly refused to give ground, because it argues that the proposed building has been too large.
The battle for the new building has now been raging for five years and last month Sailability was in danger of being made homeless altogether, when Staffordshire Moorlands District Council chief planning officer Mike Green was ready to invoke an agreement that became part of the planning permission — that the old boathouse was to be demolished on February 16.
Fortunately for Sailability the council planners had a change of heart at the eleventh hour, overruling Mr Green by granting the charity a six-month reprieve, with planning committee members voting 10 to four in favour of the recommendation.
Sailability secretary Jackie Griffiths, whose daughter Tilly suffers from spinal muscular atrophy and regularly uses the club’s facilities, was delighted with the council’s change of heart.
“It’s like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders and we can now get the ball rolling and carry on with fundraising,” she said.
The project is going to cost in the region of £350,000 but is small change in relation to the amount of pleasure it will provide for disabled sailors across the region, some of whom have never got into a boat before but are desperate to improve their quality of life.
Already a third of the required amount has been raised.
Sailablity’s cause has been championed by Staffordshire Moorlands MP Charlotte Atkins, who arranged a meeting with British Waterways chiefs in November in a bid to find a solution to Rudyard Lake Ltd’s objection.
The outcome is that a mediation meeting has been arranged for February 15, at which parties from both sides will sit around the table and attempt to reach a satisfactory outcome.
So soon after St Valentine’s Day (February 14), Sailability supporters will be hoping that love is still in the air.
“I hope that Sailability will finally get the high-quality boat shed it deserves,” said Mrs Atkins.
Certainly, Sailability is not lacking in quality support for its ambitious venture, with two general practitioners (treasurer Dr Richard Hayward and Dr Ali Ashard) and a retired solicitor (Anne Morris) on board as trustees.
Former district council chief planning officer Mike Sutcliffe lent his expertise to formulating the plans for the new boathouse.
Sailability is able to function nationwide thanks to the support of more than 12,000 volunteers.
The task of training the Rudyard volunteers up to the required standards is undertaken by qualified sailors Dennis Priebe, the club chairman, and Gary Lowe.
“We are very hopeful that with all parties coming together we can move forward positively,” said Ms Griffiths.