ETC provides funding boost to disabled Sailors

Port Macquarie’s Sailability program has received a funding boost of $2800 from Enterprise and Training Company Limited (ETC) for the purchase of a purpose built three-tier boat trailer.

Sailability’s President Wayne Evans acknowledged ETC for their support.

“We now have a full complement of yachts, trailers and rescue craft, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors such as ETC,” Mr Evans said.

“Out next effort will be to obtain sufficient funds to build a permanent pontoon so that people with a disability, young and old, will have 24 hour access to the beautiful waterway off McInherney Park.”

Mr Evans said there were nearly 4000 disabled people in the Hastings region and up to 50 were taking advantage of the program offered by Sailability every Wednesday.

“At the moment, most of our students come from local High Schools or Special Schools in the Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Camden Haven and Kempsey areas,” he said.

“By giving the students freedom on the water we help brighten their lives and at the same time teach them life and physical skills as well as bonding with more able bodied people.

“We have between 20-25 volunteers running each sailing day and they gain a lot out of their involvement in the program as well, particularly seeing the joy on the student’s faces when they come back in from sailing.”

ETC Chairman Rod McKelvey said ETC was pleased to be able to support Sailability Port Macquarie through the ETC Community Support Fund.

“The ETC Community Support Fund is designed to help organisations improve the social and economic development of local communities,” Mr McKelvey said.

“ETC is proud to be a not-for-profit company and we are confident the money we are donating will help make a more positive future for our community.

“Since 1989, ETC has placed over 51,000 Australians into jobs, trained more than 23,000 people, helped over 34,000 small businesses to start-up and grow, and contributed in excess of $25 million to the local communities in which we operate.”