SAILABILITY CHARITY BENEFITS FROM DONATION BY RETIRED YACHTSMAN
A retired yachtsman chose Camelot House and Lodge, where his wife now lives, as the venue for a donation of specialist kit and clothing to the charity Wimbleball Sailability, which provides access to sailing programmes for those living with disability.
Craig Fox-Johnson (79) and his wife Jenny (77) covered many nautical miles together, including the lengthy voyage down the French canal network to the Mediterranean, and they were keen to ensure the kit they used during their yachting days should benefit others now they no longer use it themselves.
The donation included walkie-talkies for boat to shore communication, and items of clothing suitable for sailing and and wet weather activities.
David Mather, accepting the donation on behalf of Wimbleball Sailability, said: “We really value Craig and Jenny’s gift, which will be greatly appreciated by our volunteers and sailors.
“I was especially interested to hear from Craig about two fabulous jackets by Gill Clothing, whose kit is used by the America’s Cup sailing team.”
Craig Fox-Johnson explained: “The jackets were given to Jenny and me by Gill Clothing as thanks for allowing them to take photographs for their catalogue featuring our beautiful wooden fishing boat, Growler, a specially-built 33-foot craft used by its original owner for sailing around the Western Isles.
“Sadly, Jenny and I can no longer sail together but I spend every morning with her at Camelot House and Lodge, and the lovely team there even brought cakes to celebrate my birthday last week, so it seemed only right to present our joint collection from here.
“We’re happy the kit will find good use at Wimbleball Sailability – it’s a really wonderful charity, with such dedicated volunteers who work incredibly hard to help those with disabilities have the experience and enjoyment of going afloat in a sailing boat.”
Zillah Oakes, registered manager at Camelot House and Lodge, said: “We always find out as much as we can about the life stories of the people we care for here, and Jenny has a really interesting background – not just her sailing, but a professional background in the food industry and as a developer of recipes for products like Foxes Chocolate Cookies.
“The progressive nature of dementia means that it gradually strips away an individual’s memories, but even those with advanced dementia will sometimes surprise us by recognising things linked to their earlier life, so if we know their back-story we try to keep them engaged with personalised memory-joggers, as part of their personalised care plans.”
Wimbleball Sailability is looking for new recruits to help the group. As well as sailors, they need people for safety boat cover, rigging and shore work on boats, hoisting, meeting and greeting, providing marketing, fundraising, and administration. Full training will be provided and further details are available from David Mather on 07733 305186.
Photo: L-R David Mather, Craig and Jenny Fox-Johnson, Zillah Oakes
