A crowdfunding effort has been launched by the Carmarthen Boat Club to pay for improvements to the River Towy slipway at the town quay.
Club bosses said the aim is to raise around £8,000 which will be spent on a number of upgrades and improvements, including modifications to the slipway (pictured above) to make it accessible to the disabled, enlarging and reinforcing the existing pontoon for safer access to water for all, as well as a new storage unit for boats next to the river.
A fundraising page has been set up on the Crowdfunder website.
Mike Skyrme, Carmarthen Chairman of the Carmarthen Boat Club, said: “We are hoping to raise funds of around £8,000 to improve access to the River Towy, which is the longest river in Wales.
“We hope to improve our storage which we have exceeded and we also hope to raise funds to improve the pontoon, which will allow safer access for all members of the yacht club, but also to allow disabled access on the river. , which is currently not the case.
He added:
“As we approach the slipway, we hope to improve it by adding a fan tail in the river which will allow safer access for boats, canoes, paddle boards and all river craft.
“There is also a vacant lot next to the slipway which we hope to use and turn into a new complex so that we can increase the storage for the boats which we can offer to members and the public to use the river safely. security.
Calling on the public, Mr Skyrme said: “Please if you can donate we would really appreciate it.
“As President of the Carmarthen Boat Club, I would respectfully ask that you support us with a donation, large or small, to improve access to the river for the benefit of the people of Carmarthen and the surrounding area.”
The Carmarthen Yacht Club built the slipway in the mid 1970s and, in addition to the club itself, the slipway is used by several organizations including the Dragon Canoe Club, Gwendraeth Valley Paddlers, Carmarthen Rowing Club, Carmarthenshire Water Safety Partnership, Carmarthen Water Sports Club, local schools. , the men of Carmarthen Coracle, the Carmarthen Bay Ferries service and countless people.
It is also vitally important to emergency services for training purposes and access for rescues.
Carmarthen Boat Club said that since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic the river has been a place for many to escape the pressures of recent years, leading to a major increase in the number of people wanting to access the river.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the crowdfunding effort can visit the fundraising page here.
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