‘Inspiring young sailors since 1959’
The NSSA has inspired young people and adults to discover the joy of sailing for sixty years. The Norfolk head teachers who founded the NSSA in 1959 knew the value of the sport for personal development. They wanted to help children get the most from the experience and even built their own boats as part of the school curriculum.
The Local Education Authority bought our current training centre at Filby in 1960. This became the headquarters for the NSSA when a number of existing sailing organisations in the county merged. We held our first regatta at Filby in July 1962.
Since then we have taught countless young people to sail, many of whom have gone on to enjoy success in the sport. Our volunteers work hard to maintain the training centre and to raise funds to update the boats and equipment. This ongoing process is vital to our survival as an association.
Our future ambitions
We want to continue giving as many children in Norfolk the opportunity to discover the joy of sailing and develop as individuals. Although Norfolk is seen as an affluent county, we are intensely aware that there are pockets of severe deprivation. Our ambition is to ensure every child who wants to can benefit from our services and gain the confidence, independence and resilience to succeed in life.
It is vital that we continue to offer low cost youth training for all levels of sailors: from beginners to advanced, from cruising to racing. However, to do this we must continue to raise funds through membership fees, adult tuition fees, grants and sponsorship. Our biggest challenge is not filling our courses but providing and maintaining modern accessible facilities.
We are looking for support from national and local government, business organisations and members, grant funding organisations, other charities with shared objectives and values, the sailing community and individuals. If you or someone you know can offer help and support for our appeal, please contact us via info@nssa.co.uk