Lynn Jackman has the wind in her sails after winning a top trophy for learning new skills on the water at a charity centre.
She is a long-standing member of Centre 81 at Great Yarmouth, which runs skills and activities for people with disabilities, including sailing sessions at the Waveney Sailability Centre at Oulton Broad.
The 39-year-old, from Bradwell and who has cerebral palsy, is celebrating after she won the Sailability Centre’s most improved sailor award.
She first boarded a dinghy in 2009 and during weekly summer sessions has improved so much that she can now sail solo.
Centre 81 skills and activities manager Julie Charles said: “It is a tremendous achievement for Lynn. We have seen her gain in confidence over the years on the water and in general – so much so that she is now a volunteer at the centre helping members, in the office and at the tea bar.”
The centre encourages members to explore activities that enrich their lives.
Waveney Sailability, a charity run by volunteers, uses specially-adapted dinghies to give summer sailing experiences to people with a range of physical and learning disabilities.
Senior instructor and trustee Jackie Soards: “Lynn won the trophy on the assessment of the instructors looking at all our 60 members – so she did very well.
“Members go out with instructors, who help them to learn about how to handle the boat, understand how to use the wind, steer and safely bring it back alongside.
“As they improve members do more and more themselves. Some go solo and others go on to compete.
”The boats are adapted and cannot capsize, but it still takes a lot of skill.”
Sailing is just one of the many activities, ranging from craft and cookery to singing and swimming, provided for, and chosen by, the members at Centre 81.
The centre also runs a fleet of fully accessible community minibuses, which are used to take members on outings, as well as providing a vital transport link for 500 people in the wider community.
Find out more about Centre 81 and its services at www.centre81.co.uk
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