Kingswinford sailing volunteer honoured by HRH Princess Royal
A dedicated volunteer from Himley Hall Sailing Club has been honoured by HRH the Princess Royal, president of the Royal Yachting Association, for his outstanding contribution to the sport.
Tony Sutton, aged 61, of Kingswinford, received a Lifetime Commitment Award at an awards ceremony held at One Great George Street in London.
Over 20 years Tony has served on the training team and as membership secretary, trustee, newsletter editor and for 12 of the last 13 years as commodore. He also supports junior and youth training and has helped to establish curriculum sailing lessons for local secondary schools.
Tony said: "Shortly after I started at Himley Hall SC I had to take ill health retirement and had time on my hands so thought I’d put a bit of effort into supporting the club, started doing a few jobs and found myself becoming commodore. I enjoy volunteering and especially working with the youngsters because if you can get them sailing, it’s a way of keeping the club vibrant.
"It’s great to see them developing their skills and several have gone on to become Dinghy Instructors themselves which is really rewarding.”
Tony enjoyed meeting to HRH The Princess Royal who was fascinated by a picture of Himley Hall SC’s unusual clubhouse, which was used on the big screen when Tony went on stage.
He said: “Our clubhouse is the thatched former boat house of the Earl of Dudley. He used to keep a steam boat in there and we now have a teaching room downstairs and galley upstairs!”
Nominating Tony for the award, the club’s citation highlighted his “calm demeanour and sense of humour” and his generous giving of time to projects, activities and events:
The club citation said: "An excellent hands-on leader, he takes more than his fair share of responsibility, and is always willing to support others. He has kept an extensive archive of club documents and photographs but is equally open to new ideas and initiatives, recognising others’ contributions, and has helped to rejuvenate the club and raise its profile."
The RYA is boating’s national governing body and 50 awards were presented this year to celebrate long-standing volunteers and committed youngsters from across the UK.
Rob Clark, RYA director of sport development, said: “2021 has been another challenging year for sailing organisations with outdoor activity restarting and restrictions slowly lifting. More than ever volunteers are the backbone of our clubs and the wider boating community, and every single award winner has made an impact by sacrificing their time and expertise so others can enjoy being on the water. It’s a pleasure to recognise their achievements.”
