Who is Weir Wood Sailing Club ('WWSC')?

WWSC is a volunteer run sailing and windsurfing club, that makes sailing accessible, affordable and fun.  The club is a recognised RYA training centre and was previously awarded the RYA ‘Club of the Year’ distinction.  As a community-based club have helped get the NTC, Young Epilepsy, GCSE students and Duke of Edinburgh candidates out on the water.  The club is also renowned for being a competitive racing club, with many club members holding national championship titles and competing at national and international level.

Summary of why we are asking for help

Two years ago the reservoir was taken over by a new landlord.  The landlord has made it very clear that WWSC is not part of the development plans for the site, despite us having over 45 years left on our lease.  Over the last 18 months we have been subjected to an intimidatingly large number of legal and quasi-legal attacks from the landlord using a very experienced (and expensive) firm of lawyers which we have had to use our limited resources to fend off.

A Little bit more detail

For some years now, WWSC has promoted the idea of seeking to open up Weir Wood Reservoir to greater recreational use, but doing so required the active engagement of our landlord ('WWE').

Two years ago, WWE was taken over by a new owner.  From the very start of this change of ownership, our 'new' landlord made it clear that we are not part of the development plans for the site, despite us having a 50 year lease which had been agreed with WWE in 2015, less than 10 years ago.  

We have now reached the stage where we face cases in the County Court, including for tiny (or even fictional) alleged breaches of our lease terms which, if we were to lose, would mean that the club would forfeit its lease, cease to exist and the Trustees and Committee could face financial jeopardy for seeking to defend its existence.

We strongly believe, based on the legal advice that we have received, that the claims made against WWSC are unfounded and, properly fought, will fail in their aim to evict us from our longstanding and rightful use of the site.

Of course, the decisions of Courts are never 100% certain and WWSC needs additional funds available to it to ensure that it has adequate money readily available to pay all of its legal costs, and also to pay damages in the event they are awarded against us.

What are we trying to achieve? 

We would like to save our sailing club! We cannot allow an individual with the financial resources to manipulate the legal system to bring down the curtain on a sailing club with 50 years of sailing history and thousands of people's quiet enjoyment of the facility.  It will also be a blueprint for other private landlords to ride roughshod over the rights of members clubs the length and breadth of the country.  Please support us in our fight.

Please help us

We are looking to raise £100,000 through crowdfunding to help with legal costs in saving our club.  Any donation, no matter how big or small will be gratefully received. Please rest assured that we, WWSC, will make no financial gain from any donation you may make. Any surplus funds held by Crowd Justice will be donated directly to an appropriate charity.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and your support.

For more information on WWSC:

Website: Weir Wood Sailing Club – Making sailing accessible and fun (wwsc.org.uk) 

Facebook: (1) Facebook 

Instagram: Weir Wood Sailing Club (@weirwoodsailingclub) • Instagram photos and videos