Page 23 - Thrapston Life December 2024

CHARITY
CHAMPIONS
Thrapston & Raunds Rotary Club
For many people the latter part of November and December can be busy months. This is also true for members of the Thrapston and Raunds Rotary Club.
the disabled sailors in and out of the boats. Over the years the club has also raised funds to support the charity and help provide essential
November saw members of the
club help with marshalling at the flu and covid vaccination days at Nene Valley Surgery, laying wreaths at the remembrance events in Thrapston
and Raunds, launching boats and helping disabled sailors at Sailability
at Grafham Water and participating in the Thrapston ‘Christmas Light Switch On’ at the end of November. Not only has the season ended for Sailability at Grafham, but our session marked the end of the club providing assistance on a regular basis.
Club involvement with Sailability goes back over 25 years, when Sailability was just getting going at Grafham Water
equipment. One notable example was the purchase of a golf buggy which transformed the ability to move boats quickly with ease, permitting more disabled sailors to access the water.
The club was also involved in helping source funding for a new craft which
is still used extensively today and is a bit of a favourite, especially with one particular experienced sailor. Whilst the work can be physically demanding, the experience has been rewarding, especially when members see the smiles of the disabled sailors who are doing something that they never thought they would be able to do. However, the age of members has meant that the decision
Club involvement with Sailability
goes back over 25 years, when
Sailability was just getting going at Grafham Water with only a few boats. The main need over those years has been physical help with the launching and retrieving of boats, and helping
has been made that the club can no longer be involved in providing assistance. A team of seven were present for the final session and John Malpas, the longtime coordinator of our
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