Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 68

ON THE WATER

Chris Wilkinson

Parkinsons & Chivertons

'Help for Heroes'
Brading Haven Yacht Club members once again looked
beyond their own standards of life when a Gourmet
Charity Dinner was organised to raise funds for ‘Help for
Heroes’, Commodore Chris Wilkinson’s charity for the
year.
The club was formed just over 60 years ago for
‘businessmen and artisans’ who found they had nowhere
to sail from, and has a long standing record in supporting
such charities and groups.
It began in 1951 when Geoff Wade, the club’s longest
serving member, suggested adopting the Nab Tower or at
least the Trinity House staff who manned the station. It
became a 29-year association with the tower during which
time the club made an annual collection putting together a
hamper for delivery each Christmas, an arrangement which
only came to an end when the tower became automated.
The club has always supported the RNLI, taking part in
events such as the annual inter-club quiz and providing
donations, and a charity auction raised £5,000 in 2009 as
part of the Bembridge Lifeboat Appeal.
But members have always been aware of other deserving
causes and have raised in excess of £10,000 for a dozen or
so Island based charities. The Charity Dinner was attended
by over 50 members and their guests with fine food
provided by the club’s in-house caterer Casero Cuisine.
An excellent speech, made initially by Winston Churchill
in 1941, was delivered by Neil Murphy to give everyone a
taste of real patriotism.
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Wilkinson &
Finlayson

Pictures supplied by
Brading Haven Yacht Club