19.04.04
£1 million watersports facility for Stithians announced

A £1 million training centre for the water sports industry is to be built at Stithians Lake in West Cornwall with the help of investment from Objective One, the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) and Sport England.

Investment for the project includes £487,000 from the Sports England, £310,000 from Objective One (European Regional Development Fund), £125,000 from the RDA, £50,000 from South West Water, £10,000 from Cornwall County Council, £7,300 from the South West Lakes Trust, £2,000 from Kerrier District Council and £2,000 from Falmouth College. The remaining funding will come from clubs, businesses and Wendron Parish Council.

At the moment, Stithians Lake attracts around 50,000 visits a year from people coming to take part in watersports, as well as fishing, bird watching, camping and walking – although the only facilities are a selection of portable buildings, wooden sheds and a concrete store.

The new plans will see the construction of a multipurpose training facility, providing lecture/class rooms, ICT access, boat and equipment storage, clubroom and changing facilities. Money will also be spent on environmental improvements and interpretation, a new slipway and pontoon, orienteering courses, a cycle track and bridleway.

Stephen Bohane, RDA Head of Operations in Cornwall, said: "Although Cornwall has a high percentage of marine and inland watersports users, it currently lacks any watersports facilities that can offer a safe year-round venue for vocational training. This means that despite there being an acute shortage of qualified instructors at all levels, those wishing to pursue a career in the watersports industry often end up leaving Cornwall to train and never returning.”

The training currently available at Stithians will be greatly expanded with new courses in various watersports, provided through Falmouth College and Duchy College. Stithians Lake will also be used for courses on environmental conservation and countryside management.

Mr Bohane said: "There are many centres in the South West that would employ those trained from the centre – the Royal Yachting Association has over 150 training locations in the region and there are more than 50 centres offering recreational watersports, all of which need qualified instructors. The project will also have a significant impact by creating a number of direct jobs and attracting higher-spending visitors to the Stithians area year-round.

Jim Clarke, Sport England's South West Regional Director, said: "We are delighted to be able to provide such substantial funding for this project. Here at Sport England we aim to give people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to start, stay and succeed at sport and physical activity at every level. The development of Stithians Lake allows just that. I hope the local community and those across the region take full advantage of what will be on offer,” he added.

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership, said: "The lake has played an important role for 30 years, accommodating people of all ages, social groupings and abilities. This project will enable it to play an increased role in upskilling the community and contributing to the social and economic development of the area. The project will also create a development office that will build programmes for vocational training, adult education courses and coaching opportunities at all levels. The development office will also establish links with community groups, introduce more young people to watersports and promote greater participation by women and people with disabilities.”

The new centre has been designed in line with recommendations from Sport England – with a low profile building that will merge into the landscape and avoid wind shadows for watersports users.

The centre will be run by the South West Lakes Trust (SWLT), an independent charity set up in April 2000 that now manages the land around 50 lakes, reservoirs and stretches of riverbank, including watersports centres at Siblyback, Tamar Lakes and Roadford.

James Platts from SWLT said: "The project is an integrated package aimed at creating significant improvements to the infrastructure, services and training provided at Stithians. The impetus for the project has come from the evident deterioration of the current facilities and a growing demand from users to improve and extend the services available. The project will link with several outdoor education groups and with Falmouth and Duchy Colleges. We expect to double the vocational training at Stithians, as well as safeguarding 16 jobs and creating the equivalent of 4.5 new posts.”

In addition to vocational training for instructors, the centre and its improved camping facilities will provide opportunities for group visits by users from disadvantaged or ethnic backgrounds from both Cornwall and further afield.

Editor's notes:

The South West Regional Development Agency was established in 1999. Our most important role is to ensure the long term economic success of the region, by promoting the right skills among its workforce, the most innovative businesses, and a high quality environment.

For further information contact:

Jason Clark
Deborah Clark & Associates
01872 276276
07980 834368
jason@dclark.co.uk

Sue Wolstenholme
Objective One Communications
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mob: 07973 813647
Tel: 01579 370991

lmroberts@cornwall.gov.uk

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