Peterborough shopping centre staff renew charity effort

For more than five years, Queensgate has sent volunteers from its staff and partners to help launch and retrieve boats carrying disabled people on and off the lake at Ferry Meadows between April and September.

Everyone from the house-keeping staff to the Centre Director, Mark Broadhead, rolls up their sleeves, puts on their waders and spends at least one day helping the charity.

Peterborough Sailability was launched in 2006 and helps people with disabilities to sail, operating eight boats and helping more than 150 sailors a day, twice a week.

“Sailability is incredibly important to every single person at Queensgate, and has become an activity that people look forward to year on year” said Carol Wakelin, Environmental Manager at Queensgate.

She adds: “Due to the restrictions in place, last year’s events had to be missed, so we’re delighted to be back on the water this year to continue our support for Sailability. It’s fantastic to once again see the community come together and put smiles on people’s faces.”

Queensgate Shopping Centre is the largest organisation in Peterborough to provide voluntary support for Peterborough Sailability; which needs more companies to donate their corporate social responsibility hours to help them.

Whilst Sailability did not take place in 2020, Queensgate were still able to support the charity, in donating laptops to improve their online system and provide a smooth booking process for their disabled clients.

To learn more about the charity and their work, visit https://www.peterboroughsailability.org.