New electric passenger boat for Nancy Oldfield Trust
Nancy Oldfield Trust, Neatishead, Wednesday July 28th 11.30 am
A new £65,000 custom built, electric powered motor cruiser is about to join the fleet of the Nancy Oldfield Trust, a water activity centre for disabled and disadvantaged people.
The environmentally friendly, low wash 28-foot cruiser named “White Admiral”, is equipped with stern and side access for wheelchairs, hydraulic wheelchair lift and flat floor, as well as an accessible toilet and galley facilities. It can carry up to 12 passengers for quiet enjoyment of the rivers and broads.
Robin Slatter, centre manager of the Barton Broad based Trust said: “The new cruiser will improve the Trust’s facilities and increase the number of people we can take out at a time. Being electric it is particularly good for getting close to the wildlife because it is so quiet.”
The Broads Authority gave £20,000 towards the cost of the new custom built cruiser through its Sustainable Development Fund. The boat was designed by Andrew Wolstenholme and built locally by Haines Marine of Catfield.
It was named ‘White Admiral’ because Trust founder Richard Kenyon was a keen wildlife enthusiast who took many photographs of butterflies.
The Trust, which offers year round residential boating holidays and activities for day visitors at Neatishead, has increased its fleet over the last 20 years. It now owns eight sailing boats, two rescue boats and three motorboats.
Last year the Broads Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund provided £10,000 towards a new £25,000 floating base on Barton Broad for the Trust. The wooden ‘Ark’ provides shelter, a galley and toilet facilities which enables the Trust’s visitors to spend a day out boating on the broad.
The Nancy Oldfield Trust, a registered charity, offers sailing, canoeing, motor boating, fishing and bird-watching for people of all ages who are disadvantaged or have any form of disability. They are supervised by RYA qualified staff and a pool of 20 RYA qualified volunteers.
23/07/2004
