A SAILING club for disabled will be able to give more people the opportunity to get on the water, thanks to a generous £6,000 donation.

The funding for the Sailability group at Whitefriars Sailing Club in Ashton Keynes came from the Cirencester Round Table.

It will go towards purchasing a specialist Hansa 303 sailing dinghy, which is specifically designed to give extreme stability on the water, making them virtually uncapsizable.

This allows for safe, independent use by children and people with a wide range of disabilities.

The club currently rent two Hansa boats but this will be the first one they own.

David Durston, the club chairman, was paralysed from the shoulders down 17 years ago.

He says sailing provides disabled people with an opportunity to stay active and compete in the sporting arena.

“Eight years after my accident, I discovered sailing was something I could still do and could compete on level terms with other people,” he said.

“So many people are housebound when they’ve got such a severe disability.

“What we’re trying to do is teach people how to sail rather than just getting them out for a jolly round the lake.

“This boat will let them get out safely by themselves.”

Guy Elkins and Simon Franklands from the Cirencester Round Table presented the donation to David and other members of the Sailability team during a social get-together at the Greyhound public house.

For more details on disabled sailing, contact David Durston by emailing sailability@whitefriarssc.org or visiting the club's website whitefriarssc.org

A spokesperson for the Round Table said: “We as a charity are always looking for worthwhile local causes who are in need of support.

“We will only support local charities and we want to invest in something tangible.

“The sailing club approached us saying they were looking for this facility for disabled people.

“If charities want to approach us, get in touch, we’re looking to support people”

To contact the Round Table to suggest a cause for them to support, email info@cirencesterroundtable.org.uk