Renegades have aweigh to go!

Expect waves of laughter and a hull of a good time all round as the Renegades and Rascals Youth Clubs have finally taken possession of their first sailing boat.

“It’s fantastically exciting,” says Group Leader Gareth Miller. “Sailing is normally expensive but we can finally begin to offer it as part of the monthly subscription to the club. A Renegade mum had a dinghy she no longer used so offered it to us. Once we have rigged and updated a few bits on it, we’ll be teaching the kids the basics and then we’ll be out on the water!

“I have loved sailing for most of my life and wanted to share the experience, the importance of teamwork and the camaraderie that goes with the sport with the youngsters, no matter what age. And we’d really appreciate some help – we’d love to hear from anyone with any sailing experience, and who is willing to devote some spare time to work with the kids.”

Thanks to the support of parents, the Hyde Foundation and the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund, the Renegades is back to operating five days out of seven. Mondays are a general session with cooking on Tuesdays (both in Kirdford) – in our last session we made fajitas, salsa and guacamole from scratch. Thursdays are swimming (thanks to the kindness of local supporters) and Sunday is canoeing on the Wey & Arun canal. Fridays are now general sessions in Alfold. We are also looking into the possibility of running some holiday clubs over the summer, so watch this space!

“The kids are continuing to build the Renegades teepee, which will be used for camping when it is ready,” says Gareth.

“Because of the increase in activities and our ambitions for the children (and to just cover some of the overheads), we have decided to reinstate a subscription of just £5 a month per child (though discounts are available for bigger families) from 1 September.”

The Renegades is a charity and open to all children aged 7 – 18.  If you would like a taster session, visit www.renegadesyc.org or ring Gareth on 07801 862550.