02nd June 2026
Sport Welfare Officers from Active Sussex and Active Kent & Medway joined the Mariners of Bewl Sailability club this week to experience first-hand how the club is opening up sailing to people of all abilities – and to explore how the Sport Welfare project can support its growth.
The Mariners of Bewl is based on Bewl Water, a large reservoir straddling the Kent and Sussex border. Following a successful funding bid to Sport England, the club has welcomed a new wheelchair-accessible boat to its fleet: a V20 Wheelyboat named Jennie.
Sport Welfare Officers Angela (Active Sussex) and Rachel (Active Kent & Medway) visited the club to meet the team behind Jennie and see the boat in action. With its roll-on, roll-off wheelchair ramp and spacious design behind the wheel, Jennie allows wheelchair users to board independently and safely – offering genuine freedom and confidence out on the water.
During the visit, Rachel and Angela took the helm with guidance from one of the club’s senior instructors, with safety the priority throughout. It was a powerful demonstration of how inclusive sport can remove barriers and create opportunities for everyone to get involved.
For the Mariners of Bewl, Jennie is far more than another vessel on the reservoir. By helping people feel comfortable and capable on the water, the boat opens a route into sailing – and, for those who want to take it further, even competitive disability sport. Alongside Jennie, the club offers a range of sailing boats and welcomes disabled and non-disabled participants alike to enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being on the water together.
The club came to the Sport Welfare project keen to showcase its new wheelyboat and its inclusivity offer, while finding out what support the project could provide. Mariners of Bewl has a proactive safeguarding culture, which the sport welfare project will help to strengthen with access to training and learning opportunities for club volunteers. The club was also signposted to the Sussex Disability Network Forum event on June 16.
Angela said: “The visit was a reminder of what’s possible when organisations and community clubs work together. Through collaboration and a shared commitment to inclusion, clubs like the Mariners of Bewl are creating meaningful, accessible opportunities for everyone – and that’s something worth celebrating.”
To learn how the Sport Welfare project can support your club in Sussex, visit: https://www.activesussex.org/sport-welfare-officers/
