A GOLF club has raised over £4,000 for an organisation which provides sailing opportunities for disabled people.
New Forest Golf Club’s seniors captain John Pickering chose Testwood Lakes Sailability to benefit from its year of fundraising, with members presenting the charity’s trustees with a cheque for £4,161.
Testwood Lakes Sailability offers disabled sailors the chance to go out on the water
Testwood Lakes Sailability, based at 4th New Forest North (Eling) Sea Scouts headquarters in Totton, was launched in 2016 by disabled sailor Eric Blyth.
The organisation spent many years fundraising for a wheelchair accessible pontoon at Testwood Lakes, which is fitted with hoists to safely transfer wheelchair-dependent sailors in and out of the boats.
It requires more than £5,000 per year to run, and receives some income from charging participants a small fee for a trip on one of its six dinghies.
New Forest Golf Club seniors captain John Pickering (far right) with members and trustees of Testwood Lakes Sailability
The money will be used towards the creation of a wheelchair friendly path from the Scouts’ compound to the slipway, to replace the current uneven gravel path.
Anyone interested in volunteering with the group – either helping with sailing or fundraising, administration, and representing the charity at events – can get more details at www.testwood.org.uk/home
