WINCHBURGH Marina will host lessons in paddleboarding and kayaking for children and adults after the developer and housebuilders in Scotland’s fastest-growing town teamed up to subsidise active opportunities for the local community.
Winchburgh Community Development Trust (WCDT) will deliver sessions in Scotland’s newest marina – an offshoot of the Union Canal running between Edinburgh and the Falkirk Wheel – after attracting support from Winchburgh Developments, which leads the masterplan of the town, as well as housebuilders Lovell and the Wheatley Foundation.
WCDT has used the funding to purchase ten paddleboards as well as train seven new local instructors to deliver sessions on evenings and weekends from this summer.
“Since the marina opened, Winchburgh Community Development Trust have been working in partnership with Winchburgh Developments to promote watersports there,” explained Leigh Lauder of WCDT. “Everything comes at a cost but we have found ways to make it affordable to people through funding and support from developers.
“The paddleboards are there for the entire community to use, and now we have our own instructors, we will be able to offer lessons at a subsidised rate. We couldn’t have done this without the support of Lovell, Wheatley Foundation and continued support from Winchburgh Developments. It’s a really good example of partnership working for the benefit of young people in our community, bringing confidence to children and important lessons about water safety.”
John Hamilton, CEO of Winchburgh Developments, added, “This is the third year we have supported Winchburgh Community Development Trust with the watersports programme, and we’re delighted to have housebuilders contributing to this growing initiative to enable many more young people and families to enjoy the marina and the Union Canal that sits within our community.”
Winchburgh Marina can accommodate up to 20 narrowboats for tourists and residential berths, with plans for a further 29 moorings along the canal.
Tony Rankin, regional manager for Lovell in Scotland, said, “It’s fantastic to see this initiative at Winchburgh Marina come to life. At Lovell, we’re proud to be working in partnership with Winchburgh Developments, Wheatley and the Development Trust to support watersports in the area. It’s a great example of what can be achieved when partners come together to invest in their local community.”
Lynne Mitchell, director of Wheatley Foundation, stated, “This partnership allows local families to take part in activities right on their doorstep. By supporting these watersports sessions, the Foundation is helping make it easier for children and young people to get involved and try something new.”
