911��Ʒ

The invaluable contributions of volunteers across sailing and boating communities have been celebrated by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the RYA, and guests at an awards ceremony in central London.

The 2023 911��ƷVolunteer Awards were held on Friday 10 November at the Grade II listed ‘One Great George Street’, with 81 accolades given this year in recognition of the outstanding dedication and commitment made by volunteers of all ages and from all corners of the UK.

The awards were divided into five categories, highlighting the many and varied ways volunteers support participation and activity across the sailing and boating sector. The categories this year were: 911��ƷCommunity Awards; Francis Elkin Award; Honor Preston Award; 911��ƷAwards; and Honorary Life Membership.

Community champions

The 911��ƷCommunity Awards recognise the exceptional commitments made by individuals at the grassroots level of the sports and activities the 911��Ʒrepresents.

Some 46 Lifetime Commitment Awards were celebrated at the ceremony and a further 25 recipients were honoured with Outstanding Contribution Awards. These contributions ranged from club establishment and maintenance to race officiating, training, coaching, fundraising, inspiring disadvantaged groups through sailing, and much more.

Six individuals, each receiving a Young Volunteer Award, showed that it’s never too soon to start supporting others in the sport. Jack Kennedy was one of the Young Volunteer Award recipients, who started his volunteering at the age of 14 at in Northern Ireland. He progressed through various Instructor roles and became the youngest member of the Commodore’s committee at the age of 22.

“No one volunteers necessarily to then get an award at the end of it, that’s not what we do it for, but it’s nice to be recognised,” Jack explained. “You need to give back to the sport that has given so much to you, which is why it’s so important to get involved.

“Sailing in particular is a sport that relies so heavily on volunteers compared to other sports, so we need to make sure we’re facilitating the next generation of sailors coming through and enabling them to come up through the ranks and then they can get involved in volunteering.”

911��ƷDirector of Sport Development Rob Clark paid tribute to the enormous impact that volunteers have in sailing and boating communities.

“It’s always so inspiring to hear of the amazing work that is happening every day, up and down the country, by volunteers right at the heart of our sport,” Rob explained.

“Whether it’s encouraging newcomers to give it a try, looking after facilities so people can get afloat safely, running weekend racing, or fundraising for equipment so more people can be introduced to the joys of being on the water – there really is a rewarding role for everyone in our communities, from teenager to octogenarian!”

The Francis Elkin Award

The Francis Elkin Award, dedicated to the memory of a former 911��ƷCouncil Chair and Sailability Trustee, recognises exceptional individuals who have made significant efforts to enable people with disabilities to become involved in sailing. This year, the award went to Brian Stanley who founded in 2008, making it one of the largest Sailability organisations in the UK. Brian's commitment and leadership have been the backbone of Wealden Sailability's success, providing sailing opportunities to people with disabilities and positively impacting their wellbeing.

”There were a lot of clubs there [today], many of them I’ve never heard of before,” said Brian. “Lots of people who are giving so much time to so many other people, and normally they don’t get recognised. I think it’s absolutely terrific that they can go up there and be presented to The Princess Royal to get their award.”

Regional Award

The 911��ƷRegional Award recipient, Peter Hadfield of the 911��ƷNorth West region, was recognised for his exceptional commitment and contributions to boating at a regional level. Peter's leadership in organising the 911��ƷNW Youth & Junior Traveller Series, establishment of the English Regional Forum (ERF), and work with the Working Group highlight his dedication to promoting best practices and collaboration among Regional Chairs.

The Honor Preston Award