For a group of adults with disabilities from a local care home, boating trips arranged by Cowes Sailability Club are a highlight of the week.
A group of adults with a wide range of learning difficulties and physical disabilities from Kingston Farmhouse care home in East Cowes have been enjoying boating trips with Cowes Sailability Club since the end of May. The trips are a highlight of the week for the group, who are calmed by the serenity of the sea and enjoy interacting with the club’s volunteers.
“The residents at Kingston Farmhouse always return home from trips with Cowes Sailability Club tired but glowing, enjoying this part of their week immensely,” says Donna Blight, Managing Director of Kingston Farmhouse. “Members of staff are always quick to say how much the clients benefit from this wonderful activity and enjoy getting to know Cowes Sailability Club’s volunteers. The benefits for them are huge. There’s nothing like being on the sea to instil a sense of calm in adults with autism, downs, learning difficulties and physical disabilities.”
The trips have been arranged by Cowes Sailability Club with funding from WightAID, a charitable foundation that distributes grants to good causes on the Isle of Wight. The foundation receives funding from island companies, investors and individuals and distributes it to charities, groups and organisations that aim to improve the lives of people living on the Isle of Wight.
WightAID Trustee Steve Porter says: “WightAID is delighted to be able to support this charity, as one of our aims is to promote opportunity and inclusiveness for as many Island residents as possible. We believe that our targeted assistance for many local causes makes us a very attractive option for both business and individual donors.”
The boating trips all took place on Wetwheels Hamble, a nine-metre catamaran owned and operated by the Wetwheels Foundation. The vessel can accommodate ten passengers, including up to three wheelchair users, at any one time, making it ideal for groups of people with disabilities.