You’ve got the Sailability

A day out sailing on the water with the wind in your hair is a picture-perfect scene that our Southport Community Centre clients experience weekly with the Sailability program.

Sailability is a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation committed to giving people of all abilities the chance to experience and participate in sailing and other on-water activities.

“It is a great experience as the clients get to enjoy learning a new skill and socialising. For some clients, there is a bit of nervous excitement before boarding a vessel, but that soon turns to joy once they are on the water,”  said Lifestyle Assistant, Jarryd Klessens.

Southport Community Centre began attending Sailability at the Southport Yacht Club in April after one of the clients, Christopher, suggested it. It was quickly taken on board by the lifestyle assistants and has become one of the most popular Tuesday activities.

“One of the greatest highlights I’ve seen is our client Jess being hoisted into the boat and experiencing what it is like to sail on the ocean,”  continued Jarryd.

Jess uses a motorised wheelchair, so for her, sailing was a dream that seemed logistically out of reach for a long time. With encouragement from her lifestyle assistant and the technical equipment at Sailability, she soon lived her best life out on the water.

Matthew Pearce is another client who has demonstrated significant improvements in his self-confidence through the program.

“When he first attended, Matt did not want to ride on the large pontoon boat. He is now is working up the courage to make it onto a yacht which is smaller, lower to the water and moves faster and is a step in the right direction,” said Jarryd.

Afford Community Centres are dedicated to giving our clients unique experiences that they may never have imagined possible for themselves.

Find out more about living the Afford lifestyle and how your loved ones can start exploring their passions and achieving their goals.