TOWARD SAILING CLUB (SCIO) Charity Number: SC045012 The Future: Setting the Course RESEARCH, NEEDS ANALYSIS & DEVELOPMENT APPRAISAL SUMMARY REPORT: May 2016 An Roth Associates, An Roth Trading Ltd Page 1 of 31 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 18 Contents Community Survey ........................................................................................................ 19 1. Background & Report Scope ................................................................................... 3 Café Conversation Events ............................................................................................. 26 2. Approach & Methodology ...................................................................................... 4 Focus Groups: Primary School Children ........................................................................ 30 3. Approach & Methodology Continued ..................................................................... 5 Focus Groups: Young People at Dunoon Grammar School .......................................... 31 4. Development Context ............................................................................................. 6 Toward Sailing Club: Existing Activities ........................................................................... 6 Local Drivers for Development ....................................................................................... 6 The Club’s Assets- The Keelboats............................................................................ 6 The Club’s Assets- The Clubhouse & Boat store ..................................................... 7 5. The Vision ................................................................................................................ 8 6. Study Findings ......................................................................................................... 9 Area Profile: Argyll & Bute & The South Cowal Area Served by Toward Sailing Club (TSC) ................................................................................................................................ 9 Economic & Social Profile ............................................................................................... 9 Key Challenges Faced Across the Region ...................................................................... 10 Policy and Strategic Context ......................................................................................... 11 Study Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 12 The Club- Current Position .................................................................................... 12 The Community Feedback .................................................................................... 12 The Socio-Economic, Local Area Profile & Policy Context .................................... 12 The Key Risks, Threats & Weaknesses .................................................................. 13 The Key Strengths & Opportunities ...................................................................... 13 High Level Options Appraisal ................................................................................ 15 7. Recommendations ................................................................................................ 16 Next Steps ..................................................................................................................... 16 8. Community Feedback ............................................................................................... 18 Page 2 of 31 The club encourages young people to be active, skilled, confident, self-reliant, and to 1. Background & Report Scope develop strong communication and team working skills. The club trains them to such a standard that junior members have represented Scotland and Great Britain at Toward Sailing Club SCIO (TSC) is situated on the shores of the beautiful Clyde Estuary, national and international events. to the south of the small villages of Toward and Innellan on the Cowal Peninsula in The club house at TSC, a 40 year old Terrapin sectional building on top of the Argyll. dilapidated swimming pool, is still well-used and much loved. Whilst improvements The club was established in the 1960s by the local community on the site of a have been made over the years the building and its neighbouring boat store are no dilapidated swimming pool which was at the time part of the Castle Toward Estate. longer fit for purpose, requiring major repairs to both the fabric of the buildings and Since then the clubhouse, dinghy park and surroundings have been developed and facilities contained within. Indeed the boat store is probably beyond economic repair. expanded through community support and the hard work of members. As the current custodians of this valuable community asset, the TSC Board is looking Run entirely by volunteers, TSC became a registered charity in 2014 (Charity No: towards the club’s future and wishes to develop a creative business plan which will: SCO45012) and now owns most of the land from which it operates. This includes a bus protect and enhance these valuable community assets, turning area, car park, grass areas, clubhouse, boat store, storage compound, jetty, help the club to be here in the long-term and hand this facility onto the next harbour quay, slipways, picnic table and seating area. (See site plan and photo in generation, appendix 1 for details). meet the needs and demands of its members and the local population now and As a self-help, voluntary organisation TSC enables and promotes participation in all into the future encouraging greater participation and community benefit, water-based activities and operates an open and inclusive membership policy. allow the club to be more financially sustainable, Affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association (and more recently to the Scottish Canoe regenerate local assets, creating a vibrate hub to help address the challenges of Association) the Club offers accredited sail, safety boat and sea kayak training for living in this rural area and a community that has opportunities for all and greater young people and adults. Over the years the Club has trained hundreds of adults and capacity and resilience. young people to RYA Certificate standard and the annual RYA inspection ensures the Club’s operating procedures, instructors’ qualifications, facilities and boats are up to After securing funding from Legacy 2014 the TSC Board commissioned An Roth the required standard. TSC funds the training of its instructors. Similarly all kayak Trading Associates to undertake an extensive community consultation and research coaches are qualified to the relevant national SCA standards. project. This project will help ensure that: TSC meets the needs and demands of the existing members and wider community (now and into the future), together with the Sailing and sea-kayaking at Toward are neither exclusive nor elitist sports. As a potential for developing relevant new services and facilities to help improve the community sports club, members fund-raise to ensure there are sufficient club boats quality of life for all. The research also includes the local and regional context and and equipment for those people (young and not so young!) taking part. Fees are wider public policy drivers; potential funding sources and a high level assessment of deliberately kept low so as they are not a barrier to participation. Annual the options and associated issues, risks and opportunities for a proposed membership is, at present, the equivalent of less than £1 per week for an adult and development. Separate to this work structural engineers’ have reported on the less than 50p per week for a junior. current state of the clubhouse and boat store buildings and a topographical land survey has been commissioned and legal advice sought. Page 3 of 31 2. Approach & Methodology The approaches used have been highly participative, involving extensive consultations with local people. The key stages in the methodology used were: Stage 1: Induction & Familiarisation Meetings (including site visits) were held with the TSC Board to agree the scope of the work, review stakeholders, expected outcomes, the approach and methodology, timescales and contact details. Stage 2: Steering Group Set Up Recommendation made to set up a project Steering Group to provide direction and make decisions on this first phase of work. The group was made up of TSC members plus other local residents. To ensure wider community involvement there was also representation from South Cowal Community Development Company and South Cowal Community Council. Regular meetings were held during the work contract to review progress and to agree next steps. Stage 3: Consultation Programme: Café Conversations & Household Survey Local residents were engaged, to provide a full understanding of the key issues and needs in the area and how TSC could be a vehicle for regeneration. The following methods were used: 1. A household survey, hand delivered to every house in the South Cowal area, available online and emailed to all TSC members. 2. Four café conversation events, open to all residents were held at different venues and times (one in the morning, afternoon, evening and on a weekend) to encourage maximum participation. Using tried and tested participatory methods including ‘Appreciative Enquiry’, ‘ World Café’ and using a pictorial