All Afloat is an independent charity initiated by RYA Cymru Wales (The Welsh national governing body for boating) with the aim of providing boating opportunities to young people in Wales and equipping them with lifeskills.
All Afloat delivered over 220 first experience sessions and certified over 70 young sailors through RYA recognised sailing centres and clubs in 2017, with initial seed funding from RYA Cymru Wales and by leveraging the RYA OnBoard programme. In 2018 and beyond we aim to continue transforming lives through the power of boating by helping to fund delivery to more young people at more locations.
The All Afloat programme helps RYA Cymru Wales get Every Child Hooked On Sport For Life.
All Afloat was first launched as a new initiative in May 2017 by RYA Cymru Wales. RYA Cymru Wales aims were to provide opportunities for young people to ‘try out’ and take part in a range of sailing and boating activities in the hope and aspiration that they gain a recognised RYA qualification.
All Afloat’s vision is to transform lives through the power of boating. We provide those from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity not just to try boating, but also a pathway to become proficient and make it into a lifelong passion.
– Phil Braden, RYA Cymru Wales CEO
In 2017, we obtained seed funding from Sport Wales (a UK Government agency) for a pilot All Afloat programme in North, West and South Wales. The pilot targeted children from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience boating and provided them with not only the chance to try the activity, but to become proficient and offered a pathway to regular activity; in short, to get them hooked on boating for life.
Sailing promotes the core values of confidence, self-reliance, team-work and physical literacy. Those children that have taken to the sport are literately changing their own lives. They are interacting with a new peer group that is both physically active and forward-looking; they work with older children that have become assistant instructors and can see that a life in sports, either professionally or recreationally can be a reality for them.
The All Afloat programme is now moving into a new phase. Sport Wales have provided tapered funding for 2018 and 2019 and we are now seeking new funding streams not only to continue the programme in coming years, but to grow the programme significantly. All Afloat is a registered Charitable Incorporated Institution (CIO) with charity number 1175241.
Every child hooked on sport for life
A major objective of Sport Wales is for every child to experience the positive benefits that participating in sport brings.
“Not solely the health benefits, but the confidence and new skills, such as leadership, that participation enables. We want to give young people a voice and encourage them to inspire their peers to become hooked on sport for life.”
– Sport Wales
All Afloat is designed to give children who have not had any exposure to sailing the chance to develop new skills and take up this exciting sport.
Through All Afloat, RYA Cymru Wales hopes to get every child that takes part hooked on sport through life, through sailing.
RYA Cymru Wales
RYA Cymru Wales is the National Governing Body for all boating in Wales. Its members include local and regional clubs and commercial watersport centres. RYA Cymru Wales is funded by the RYA and Sport Wales whose vision is “Getting Every Child Hooked on Sport for Life” by “creating a Nation of Champions”.
