Brand new categories announced for Club of the Year Awards 2024

Brand new categories announced for Club of the Year Awards 2024 © RYA

Nominations for the prestigious RYA Club of the Year Awards supported by Gallagher are now open with the launch of new categories for 2024.

The Club of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements and dedication of RYA Affiliated Clubs across the United Kingdom. The refreshed format will widen the scope of the awards and allow greater recognition for individual clubs' hard work and achievements.

The categories are as follows:

• Community Club of the Year
• Green Club of the Year
• Active Club of the Year
• Young Persons' Club of the Year
• Overall Club of the Year

The changes to this year's Club of the Year awards will showcase the outstanding achievements of clubs in areas crucial to the sailing community.

The Community Club of the Year celebrates clubs that have created inclusive opportunities, while the Green Club of the Year recognises efforts in improving environmental credentials. The Active Club of the Year category acknowledges clubs that have developed diverse participation and volunteering opportunities, pathways, and training. Finally, the Young Persons' Club of the Year honours clubs that inspire, support, and develop young people aged 25 and under in their boating journey. The Overall Club of the Year will be selected from the four category winners.

"The creation of new categories allows us to highlight and learn from the many initiatives and projects our clubs are working on," explains RYA Programmes Manager Michelle Gent.

"We are very excited, as we are every year, to hear the amazing stories from our fantastic clubs through the submissions for these annual awards. We hope that by implementing these new changes, the awards will appeal to more clubs and be further reaching than ever before."

The winner of each category will receive one of four fantastic prizes provided by our partners. Full details of each prize package will be confirmed in the coming weeks but include a Safety Boat package from Suzuki and boats package from RS Sailing.

Nominate a deserving club now!

Recognition is within reach with just a few words. Share why a club deserves acknowledgment, and a single nomination is all it takes to qualify for entry. The process is quick, and rest assured individual nominations won't be shared with the club.

Nominate your club or another deserving venue by completing the online Club of the Year 2024 nomination form.

The awards are for RYA Affiliated Clubs. Individuals can nominate between 30 May 2023 and 28 August 2023.

The award ceremony will take place at the 2024 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, Farnborough International from 24-25 February 2024.

Following feedback from clubs and members the Awards Panel will now be selecting the overall winners. Awards Panellist, Ian Brown from Delph Sailing Club, says "Having been a COTY finalist in the past, we valued the recognition for our club and the efforts of our volunteers. As a panellist it is really inspiring to see what clubs have been working on. I have certainly taken away some ideas from the applications for what our club could be doing. I am looking forward to hearing all about the exciting developments clubs have been dedicating time to."