A dedicated member of Notts County Sailing Club has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the sport in the 2023 RYA Volunteer Awards.
Ian Firth was among 81 volunteers from across the UK honoured in this year’s awards by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).
The awards were presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the RYA, at the Grade II listed One Great George Street in London.
Photo credit: Paul Wyeth
Ian was recognised for Lifetime Commitment within the RYA Community Awards category for those supporting the grassroots of the sport.
A member of Notts County Sailing Club since the age of 12, Ian has volunteered his time over 50 years, serving as Senior Instructor, Dinghy and Powerboat Instructor, a committee member and on the RYA Midlands Regional Committee.
Ian was co-founder of Notts County SC’s Saturday Club, which brings young sailors and their families into the sport. For 10 years he led the club’s Sailability section to help people with disabilities to get on the water, including gaining sponsorship for two accessible dinghies, and he has also worked with Chernobyl charity groups.
In its citation for the award, the club added: “Dedicated and committed to Notts County SC, Ian is a dinghy class representative on the Sailing Committee. He still instructs on RYA youth and adult courses and assists on school taster days, bringing in new members, and he often runs the club’s Tuesday night novice racing and mentors others as both a coach and a Race Officer.”
Ian, aged 68, who lives in Nottingham, said: “The award was a really nice surprise but I’m not a hero, volunteering is just something that I enjoy doing. It’s become a part of my life and even if I lived to be 150, what I’ve put back into the sport, I would have definitely got out of it. It’s about friendship and camaraderie and the people I’ve met through the years, that sense of community.
“I like working with people and it’s rewarding to see the children who I’ve taught becoming instructors and racing sailors themselves, then having their own families and seeing their children having fun on the water too.”
Notts County Sailing Club is an RYA Recognised Training Centre offering courses and activities for all ages. Visit www.ncsc.org.uk or find out more about how to get on the water at www.rya.org.uk/start-boating.