Wellbeing Get Together – Papercourt Sailability

Coalition and IMHN members have been enjoying the beautiful weather and Surrey countryside at our latest Wellbeing Get Together. We were back at Papercourt Sailing Club in Ripley for the Sailability session. Once again this was a popular activity with 13 members attending supported by Coalition staff.  We didn’t have to worry about the weather this year, it was the perfect balance of sunshine and breeze that meant great conditions for sailing!

Papercourt Sailability is run by knowledgeable and helpful volunteers every other weekend over the summer. There are plenty of accessible options to get out on the water. For those that prefer to access a boat directly from land there is the Wheels on Water boat. This is a motorised boat that you can walk or wheel directly on to. Two members chose this option and were soon enjoying the wind in their hair as they powered around the lake.

The dual access dinghies are accessed from a jetty with plenty of support from volunteers and a hoist if needed. These are sailed alongside a volunteer with the opportunity to do some of the sailing yourself and over time work towards a qualification if you want. Five our members chose this option, and all enjoyed an exhilarating trip with the only downside being that it was over too quickly!

Everyone else took a trip on the crabber “Lady Jay” which is also accessed from the jetty. It was lovely to see everyone’s smiles when they returned and hear about how relaxing and enjoyable they had found the activity. If you’d like to try out sailing for yourself there is no need to book – just turn up during one of the session times. All sessions are free of charge – just bring a donation if you would like to try some of the homemade cakes on offer. The next sessions are on the 30^th May, 6^th and 20^th June from 1.30pm until 4pm and you can find out more information on the Papercourt Sailing Club website: Sailability – Papercourt Sailing Club