In August the RYA Scotland welcomed Naseef Kozhithodi as our administrator. Many of you will have already seen communication from him for our recent and upcoming events. We are very pleased to have him on board.
Speaking of events: the 2023 RYA Scotland OnBoard Introductory Festivals at Lochcarron Sailing Club and James Hamilton Heritage Park were held earlier in September. The aim of the events was to gather young sailors for first time experiences or their first event away from their home club. Both events received great feedback with the sailors enjoying making new friends, learning new skills, and of course, having fun on and in the water. Parents and carers had similar comments, also mentioning how organised the events were. Thank you and well done to all involved! The Development Team are already talking about 2024; watch this space!
Thanks to all the clubs who completed the 2023 RYA Club Membership Census. This process produces valuable detail on organisational membership and the health of our sport around Scotland and the UK. If your club has not yet completed the census, we would still welcome your submission. Contact your RDO if you have any questions or comments about the census.
The September Connect Call, Safeguarding – Everyone’s Responsibility was well attended, and a lot of information was covered. Please make contact if you have further questions. Also, we will be offering a Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport workshop on Thursday the 5th of October.
Winter Connect Calls, mark your calendars:
- 1 November, Club Development Framework Refresh
- 6 December, RYA Sailability (sailing for people with a disability)
- 10 January, Social Media
- 7 February, Getting Kids OnBoard with Sailing
- 6 March, Key Messages from the Affiliated Club Conference
Registration and further details are coming very soon.
How is your club making boating more environmentally sustainable? Audit your club using one of The Green Blue’s Environmental Checklists for Clubs/Centres. Go through the list, celebrate what you are already doing, and use the gaps to guide change at your club.
Join Keep Scotland Beautiful, 1-2pm Thursday 27 September on MS Teams to learn about ongoing climate action in Scotland’s sport sector and beyond and how sport can use its platform to encourage wider environmental awareness. The event will have a panel of speakers representing sports and climate ambassadors, sports clubs and people that work in the sector from Scotland and worldwide. Register for free.
With all the activity on the water this season, surely someone deserves to have their extraordinary efforts acknowledged. Who has made an impact on your time afloat this year? Who has earned special recognition? Who needs to be celebrated? Nominations are always welcome for the RYA Scotland Impact Awards. Take just a few minutes and nominate someone today. You can see previous winners on the RYAS YouTube Channel.
The Scottish Sports Awards 2023, hosted by Team Scotland and sportscotland, will take place on Thursday 7 December 2023, and will celebrate the best of Scottish Sport across 13 categories. Nominations are now open until the 27th of September.
The Scottish Women in Sport Awards are now open for nominations. There are 10 categories in which to acknowledge all the amazing work being done in Scotland to break down barriers. Nominate someone you know today.
Speaking of women in sport… Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week will be 2-8 October. The 2023 theme is Celebrating Inclusion for Women and Girls in Sport and Physical Activity. This week was established in 2017 to raise awareness of the benefits of sport and physical activity on the physical and mental health of women and girls. Use #SheCanSheWill to join the conversation and share images and stories of women and girls at your club. Let us know if you have anything planned to mark the week.
Funding update—here are a few options for clubs to consider:
- National Lottery Awards for All Scotland (Please ensure your RDO is aware of any application for this funding as they will likely be consulted during the review process.)
- Magic Little Grants, open until 31 October 2023
- Aldi Scottish Sport Fund (Open until 24 September for Edinburgh and the Lothians)
- Tesco Community Grants
- Peter Harrison Foundation – Opportunities Through Sport and Physical Activity
- Is your club carrying out marine conservation related activities? Consider applying to Sea-Changers’ Main Grants programme.
Please do not hesitate to make contact if you have questions or areas where we might be able to support. Send us a message at Development@RYAScotland.org.uk.
And tell us about your successes and let us know what you have been up to—feel free to tag RYA Scotland on our shared social media outlets.
All the best from The Development Team – Laura, Brian, Rhys, Liza & Naseef
18/09/2023
