Last Friday, Brian Stanley was recognised at the Annual RYA Volunteering Awards for his many years of volunteering with Wealden Sailability – so well deserved and I am sure we are all so appreciative of the amazing organisation that he founded and continues to give so much time to.
Below is the RYA press release about the event, which includes a video. The eagle-eyed among you will spot that HRH The Princess Royal was also honoured by being seated next to Brian for the lunch!
The Francis Elkin Award
The Francis Elkin Award, dedicated to the memory of a former RYA Council Chair and Sailability Trustee, recognises exceptional individuals who have made significant efforts to enable people with disabilities to become involved in sailing. This year, the award went to Brian Stanley who founded Wealden Sailability in 2008, making it one of the largest Sailability organisations in the UK. Brian’s commitment and leadership have been the backbone of Wealden Sailability’s success, providing sailing opportunities to people with disabilities and positively impacting their wellbeing.
On receipt of his award, Brian said the following.
”There were a lot of clubs there [today], many of them I’ve never heard of before … Lots of people who are giving so much time to so many other people, and normally they don’t get recognised. I think it’s absolutely terrific that they can go up there and be presented to The Princess Royal to get their award.”
On behalf of all of our volunteers and clients, Brian, congratulations on winning your award and Thank You!