More than 200 representatives from charities, sports clubs, arts organisations and community groups, along with members of the Isle of Wight Talented Athlete Scheme, came together at Quay Arts in Newport on Tuesday.
The annual Wightlink in the Community celebration recognised the achievements of the many organisations and individuals supported through the ferry operator’s long-running community sponsorship programme, while also providing an opportunity for guests to network and share their stories and successes.
Guests included Talented Athlete Noah Gartell, who has recently been selected to represent England as part of the U16 national snooker team. Also, footballers from Oakfield Youth who have just been crowned Midsolent League Champions, Ability Dogs 4 Young People who are celebrating training their 100th puppy and members of Sporting Opportunities Isle of Wight who proudly brought along their medals and trophies.
Wightlink supports more than 50 sports, charitable and cultural organisations, alongside more than 80 individual athletes through the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme.
One such beneficiary is world champion Down Syndrome swimmer Zak Lacey, who has received support from Wightlink for over 6 years. The continued sponsorship allows him to travel to the mainland 2 or 3 times a week for training and competitions, propelling him to international success.
Ryde Rowing Club is the oldest beneficiary, with Wightlink’s support ‘invaluable’ to the success of the Appley-based club.
Almost all of the club’s competitions are on the mainland, which sees a large boat trailer and a minibus crossing the Solent most weekends during the rowing season.
It’s not just sporting heroes and clubs that benefit… Ability Dogs 4 Young People is one of the many local charities that receive Wightlink’s support.
Carol Court, founder of Ability Dogs 4 Young People, has said:
“Wightlink have been supporting us for more years than I can remember, providing us with ferry travel so that we can go back and forth when choosing puppies or taking dogs to the vets. It makes a huge difference to us as a charity, so we are very grateful for Wightlink’s support.”
Guests enjoyed refreshments while meeting fellow community partners and members of the Wightlink team, creating new connections across a wide range of organisations working to support Islanders.
To find out more about Wightlink in the Community, visit www.wightlink.co.uk/community.
