Community Projects
Kintyre Seasports is a charity based in Campbeltown, an area with outstanding natural resources and serious pockets of deprivation. Four watersports clubs and six community organisations formed the Kintyre Seasports SCIO in 2017. We connect education providers, community groups and watersports clubs, break barriers, and provide health, well-being and economic benefits for all. We qualified as an RYA Recognised Training Centre in 2022.
Current Community Projects
Community Project Reports
The programme was developed in partnership with Campbeltown Grammar School, Campbeltown Sailing Club and RYA Scotland. It leads to internationally recognised qualifications, offering trainees a new employability route, irrespective of conventional academic attainment, as well as personal development.
In 2018 60 local volunteers organised our first Community Regatta. The pre-pandemic 2019 event attracted over 400 people, with 40% visitors and 200 “wetsuit” participants. This free event for anyone wishing to participate breaks barriers and allows access to equipment and experienced instructors.
A partnership between Kintyre Seasports and Kintyre Canoe Club which provides sessions that encourage people who may not otherwise have participated in seasports to get afloat, all with the aim of improving the participants mental health and wellbeing.
Campbeltown Dive Club hosted its first Access Dive Programme. The programme was organised through Live Argyll in association with Kintyre Youth Café, the aim was to offer an opportunity to vulnerable young people in rural communities, particularly young carers, people at risk of ‘negative destination’ and from areas of high poverty with lower life opportunities.
Kintyre Seasports achieved RYA Recognised Training Centre status, enabling us to qualify trainees to internationally respected standards and attract tourism.
As an RYA RTC we can generate sufficient income to resource community programmes and reduce grant dependency. Our customers will have the satisfaction of supporting very good causes.
We Make a Difference
''Many of the people we work with feel disengaged from society. Re-integrating them into the community can be intense and overwhelming for family members. This is particularly where we see the benefits of Seasports, supporting our work in a way that provides a complementary therapeutic addition. Feedback from our service users has been extremely positive and they have been encouraged to take a more positive approach to improving their own lifestyle, by getting involved in activities that previously they would never have had the confidence to try.
The young people we work with have been really enthusiastic. Observation and feedback from Campbeltown Grammar School has shown improvements in their attitude to authority figures because of the sensitive, courteous and professional approach of the instructors.
Often people in recovery have very negative experiences or responses in the community, reinforcing their belief that a downward spiral is what they deserve, and damaging their confidence and self esteem. Seasports welcomes everyone and inspires them to achieve and explore new opportunities in a supported and safe environment. The project perfectly fits with the approach we take to supporting families. People need to feel connected to their community and their family, the Seasports project helps to do this and makes our job a whole lot easier and pleasant but more importantly improves the outcomes for our most vulnerable community members.''
Nona Ruesgen, Kintyre Alcohol and Drugs Advisory Service.