RYA Scotland has initiated an entirely new regional and local approach to how we support boating in all its facets across Scotland. Our intention is to radically change the understanding of the impact boating has on people, places and communities.
The new strategy places an emphasis on championing the protection of the marine environment and making our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion explicit. It builds on the success of the previous model of ‘A Place for Everyone’ and recognises we can be more connected to people, places and communities by working more locally and being visible in the places that boating happens across Scotland.
Recognising the strong partnership with sportscotland he national agency for sport and the RYA across the UK, the strategy demonstrates how the breadth of recreational boating activity contributes to the Active Scotland outcomes and the importance of volunteers, affiliate clubs, recognised training centres, instructors and coaches in Scotland. .
CEO at RYA Scotland, James Allan said.
“We have the most incredible story to tell around the impact boating has on people, places and communities and until now we simply haven’t had the resource to do this in the way we would want. With our renewed investment from sportscotland and RYA, we are now able to show what being part of boating really means to people, places and communities which will help us bring more people into our community.”
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said:
“The past two years have undoubtedly been challenging for our partners including RYA Scotland and we will continue to support them as they continue to respond to the global health pandemic.
“Scotland’s sporting system has shown incredible resilience during this period. It has been far from easy for SGBs, and for our wider partners, but there has been a shared commitment that has allowed us to make progress.
“This year’s investment will allow SGBs to continue to address ongoing challenges and rebuild capacity, and importantly to support clubs and communities in areas including equalities and inclusion. It is vital that as a sector we continue to work collaboratively to support the system’s wider recovery, and as the national agency for sport, we will provide additional investment and support where possible.”
A shared funding approach has enabled RYA Scotland to increase capacity to deliver new and more effective communications and digital media, with James Allan adding.
“We are grateful to our partners for supporting a much-needed additional resource in Scotland. This will enable us to build on our existing creative work in online media such as the ‘Off the Water’ podcast and provide a wider scope of more professional output across our platforms. This uplift in our communications capacity will help drive our efforts to bring more people into membership of the RYA in Scotland. Together we have a stronger voice to represent the boating community and through membership we create the environment for globally recognised training, supporting club and centre development and creating the pathway for the sailing stars of the future.”
At RYA Scotland we recognise that it is the People, Places and Communities identified in the new Strategic Plan that hold the key to safe, successful and rewarding boating that can positively change lives for the better.
You can read the full People, Places and Communities: 2022-2025 Strategic Plan here.
