HELLO MEMBERS !
Your board of directors met again last night with all present except Richard DG who is currently on holiday off-island. The meeting was chaired by Paul.
Following the usual agenda format, treasure Jean presented the monthly report on SFTDs’ finances which included donations of £5000 from Peel Charity Shop and £5000 from the Manx Lottery Trusts’ Community Award programme. We are incredibly grateful for these remarkably generous donations and for the ongoing support which Peel Charity Shop and the Manx Lottery Trust have given us for many years – we couldn’t do this without their generosity.
The former donation will go towards the considerable servicing and repair costs for the work done on POM III over the winter months, and MLTs donation will be used for the development and delivery of a new training programme.
Purchase of new boat and funding
The board has been carefully considering the future of our fleet, particularly Pride of Mann III which has served us exceptionally well for over a decade. As with all vessels of this age, maintenance costs are increasing and we’re also facing new regulatory requirements that would involve significant additional expenditure to bring POM III into compliance.
After thorough discussion, the board has approved plans to begin the specification and procurement process for a replacement vessel. A new boat would come with modern safety features, lower ongoing maintenance costs, and full regulatory compliance from delivery. We’re developing a comprehensive funding strategy to support this important investment in our sailing programme’s future and will keep members fully informed as both workstreams progress.
Secretary Chris has arranged the 2025 Annual General Meeting of Sailing for the Disabled which will take place Wednesday 24th September 2025 at Sight Matters, Onchan.
We are looking for members to stand for election as directors. If you are interested in standing, please contact Chris Wood secretary@sftd-iom.com or any other director. We would particularly welcome interest from our enabled members. We will provide nomination forms to anyone interested in standing and help you get proposers and seconders as required and are happy to discuss the role with you before you commit to stand.
Sailing Committee members Bobby and Richard updated the board with news of planned man overboard (MOB) recovery training for all SFTD crew. This important safety training will enhance our crew’s preparedness and response capabilities. Richard has had interest expressed in this from the RNLI, IOM Coastguard and Douglas Bay Yacht Club so we are looking forward to the possibility of collaboration with these organisations.
Carole told the board that she represented SFTD last week at a reception at Government House to celebrate His Majesty The King’s 77th birthday, by the kind invitation of the Lieutenant Governor and Lady Lorimer. Over 200 guests were present and it was a lively evening with plenty of opportunity to share the work of Sailing for the Disabled with others from all across our island community.
The final agenda item of the meeting was a discussion of possible recipients for the 2025 Endeavour Award.
Each year we recognise an outstanding individual who has made a significant contribution to Sailing for the Disabled and present them with the Endeavour Award trophy. The award, which depicts Pride of Man, was designed and crafted in collaboration with the Manx Workshop for the Disabled. Recommended candidates are proposed to the Board of Directors with the final recipient being decided by a vote.
Best wishes,
Carole