Southwold Sailing Club has raised £30,000 of £80,000 target

In August, this newspaper revealed how Southwold Sailing Club had launched an appeal on fundraising website Crowdfunder to replace the club's ageing, eroded slip on the River Blyth with a new and fortified structure.

So far, the club has raised £30,000 towards the "Save Our Slip" campaign, with £15,000 coming through the Crowdfunder appeal and £15,000 of match funding from the Sport England Movement Fund, which provides grants for projects supporting active lifestyles.

READ MORE: Southwold Sailing Club has launched a Crowdfunder appeal

The club is applying to a range of funding bodies for further grants to help it hit its fundraising goal.

The club's commodore Henry Walker said: "We are buoyed up by the immense community support there is towards this project.

"This successful fundraising campaign is moving ever closer to our final target and we are really grateful to everyone who has already contributed to this campaign and are helping to keep our vision alive.

The club has raised £30,000 of its £80,000 target for a new slipway (Image: Southwold Sailing Club) "This will benefit the wider community for decades to come.  We want local residents and families to safely enjoy time on the water, have a go at sailing and discover what an amazing, and inclusive activity it is."

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Without a proper launch, the club will struggle to get its dinghies in the water, but with proper infrastructure it would be guaranteed access to the River Blyth for many years to come.

The club was founded in 1949 and has grown to 200 members currently, while the existing slipway was installed in the 1980s.

The club has an active sailing programme for racing, cruising and taster days, along with social events and regattas and often hosts other east coast sailing clubs, while the sailing season mainly runs from April to October.