New season, new clubhouse at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club

by Martin Watts 11 Mar 2014 09:03 GMT 11 March 2014

There has been little activity at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club over the last few months; the reason, the builders have been in.

Last year, Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club received a grant under the Sports England Inspired Facilities scheme and then they matched that funding with money from Club Funds and significant donations from Club Members. So, during the winter, the Club has seen a major building programme.

Internally, the key changes have been:

• Completely refurbishing the ladies changing room, with new showers, toilets and washing facilities
• The new provision of a ground floor accessible toilet. This required major modifications to the entrance hall
• Refurbishing of the main training/sailing wet room
• Upgrading the gents changing rooms

Externally the key changes have been:

• Upgrading the roof
• New PVC double-glazing of the windows in the changing rooms and kitchen
• New layout and roadways in the dinghy park

Rene Watts, Club Secretary who helped secure the funding said, "surveys had shown that if you wanted to attract new members, then you need attractive facilities, as well as providing training programmes. Everybody who has seen the new facilities has been very impressed with them".

Steve Caladine, who managed the project on behalf of the Club reflected that " like many Clubhouses, our facilities had developed over half a dozen stages since the first building was erected by Club Members in the early 1950's. This project had brought the Clubhouse up to the same modern standards throughout and everybody now can enjoy a set of facilities that are both very attractive and very functional."

The Club is now back up and running a full sailing programme, including Open Meetings, and all visitors will be made very welcome. For further details see of our sailing times see the Club website www.hlsc.org.uk.