We catch up with one of last year’s Megawatt fund recipients
When you’re used to rushing from A to B in Bristol, caught up in the noise and traffic, gliding through the harbour in an electric-powered boat is a very different experience of the city. There is a sense of calm and quiet that is very difficult to find on the main thoroughfares, and one that should be available to every Bristolian. In reality, watersports can be prohibitively expensive and intimidating for those who haven’t tried them before. One organisation, however, is working to make this restorative ‘blue space’ accessible to everyone.
The charity All Aboard Watersports was set up in 1974. Their daily work includes offering typical water-based activities like kayak lessons, sailing and paddle-making to everyone. As part of this, they have an aim of reaching a target of 50% of participants who identify as having a disability, long term health condition, are living in social isolation or socio-economic disadvantage, or have other limitations in accessing watersports. Their courses serve a huge variety of people, including subsidised or free sailing lessons for school children in poorer areas to trips in the motorboat for families with children receiving care at the local hospice.
Community benefit
The charity has twice been a recipient of our Megawatt Community Energy Fund, in 2022 and 2025. They’ve used both awards to replace petrol engines with electric ones, most recently on their biggest and most accessible boat, called Aiming Higher.
As well as the obvious advantage of saving money and carbon emissions, Bosun Charley Peak-Payne said the noise was also a factor, especially for people who might struggle with loud sounds or simply for the sake of making a conversation easier to hear on the water.
“We’ve had really good feedback from instructors in terms of the noise and reliability – as long as you remember to plug them in and charge them,” he said. “Ultimately, we want all the boats to be electric.”
One young person who is a regular at the quay is Livvy. Now 18, she started coming to the centre in July 2023 when she was 15, after her parents were recommended All Aboard’s Sailability and Paddleability programmes through Bristol Autism Support.
Changing lives
Livvy is sporty and loves the outdoors, but finds new situations challenging until she becomes familiar with the place and the people. Before she joined, she was also having a difficult time in school and feeling quite anxious. Her experience was immediately positive. She loved it so much, she spent the sailing season last year volunteering as an instructor on the Paddeability course, which was the session she started with as a beginner.
“Since 2023 and first coming to sessions, my confidence, communication skills and self belief has increased,” Livvy said. “I have had a really good opportunity which has meant I have gone on to do other things I didn’t think I could.”
She’s now studying sport at college and hoping to go on to university to do a sports coaching degree.
“All Aboard has definitely been a big part of me believing I can do these things and has helped me have the belief and ambition to want to do more coaching.”
If you want to learn more about All Aboard, have a listen to One Love, One Planet on BCfm, recorded on 7th April, when BEC’s Marianne chatted to Centre Manager Jemma Corbett and Maggy Blagrove from Nature Consortia about protecting Bristol’s blue space.
Over the last nine years, BEC has supported 60 projects to cut carbon and make energy more affordable through our Megawatt Community Energy Fund. These include a range of organisations making our communities better, including cycle repair workshops, food waste projects and improving insulation. Grants of up to £4k are available to organisations in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Sedgemoor District (Somerset).Applications for this year’s fund are open until 28th May at 11am. You can apply here.
