Serving Whitby and the North Yorkshire and North East coast
Launched in 2018, Wetwheels Yorkshire became the fifth regional operator for the national disability power boating charity Wetwheels Foundation. It is community interest company number 10158051.
Wetwheels Yorkshire has her home in Whitby, so is perfectly positioned to operate across the region, from the North East to the Humber.
A Wetwheels Yorkshire experience is designed to enable every disabled person the chance to experience the excitement of power boating. Wetwheels Yorkshire is fully accessible - not just giving you the chance to be a passenger, but also to take the helm as the skipper - everybody gets the chance to drive!
We depend on the goodwill of our wonderfully experienced volunteers and generous donors to bring Wetwheels Yorkshire to you. If you would like to be part of a Wetwheels Yorkshire experience, it doesn't matter if you're young or old; Just get in touch with Peter in the office to arrange your visit.
The Wetwheels Yorkshire team look forward to welcoming you aboard.
Wetwheels Yorkshire is currently wintering in Scarborough. If a suitable period of settled weather is forecast we may offer to run some trips at short notice. Please follow us on Facebook as this is where we will announce available dates.
Bookings aren't yet being taken for 2022 but please get in touch if you'd like adding to our Newsletter, which will be the first place we announce availability for 2022 season.
As with any successful organisation, it is our people that make the difference.
Our team of volunteer crew undergo specialist disability awareness training in a maritime context, training in such essential tasks such as boat safety, safeguarding and much more.
We even have a small group of 'land crew' that carry out the necessary logistics, fundraising and back-office tasks that every organisation needs.
The people that really make Wetwheels Yorkshire work, however, are the mums and dads, the care staff and other support workers who choose to make the effort to bring our participants along to take part in a Wetwheels trip.
Peter is the chairman and founder of Wetwheels Yorkshire CIC. As a professionally qualified skipper Peter spends his time away from the desk, at the helm of Wetwheels Yorkshire.
A retired business owner, Peter is vice-chair of York Sharks Wheelchair Basketball Club, a founding member of the Whitby Community Alliance, Safeguarding Officer of YCTC (RYA York Cruiser Training Centre) and sits on the North Yorkshire Disability Sports Steering Group.
Philippa has spent her career in healthcare including hospitals, the community and specialist environments. Philippa delivers Wetwheels Yorkshire's 'Disability Awareness Training in a Maritime Context' to our team.
Shane has spent most of his professional life working in IT and joined Wetwheels Yorkshire as a member of the crew in 2020 after seeing how much pleasure boating brought to his daughter Chloe, who is a wheelchair user.
Shane wanted to help bring that experience to more people.
Shane enjoys spending his free time with his daughter, Cycling and Boating (ideally with his daughter), and of course, being one of the volunteers onboard Wetwheels Yorkshire.
A wonderful story from Emma at Whitby Hidden Impairments Support and Help, kindly shared by The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, after an Award to join us onboard: "Firstly, thank you once again for extending this grant and enabling us to car...
The team of volunteers at Wetwheels Yorkshire work with many wonderful organisations to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to take part in a safe adventure on the sea. One of our key partners is Martin House Children's Hospice...
From the outset Wetwheels Yorkshire has worked closely with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to not only ensure that our interactions with the creatures of the North Sea are carried out in an appropriate manner, but also on projects that help actively preserve the wonderful animals and birds of our region. Projects include, amongst others, carrying out cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoise) surveys, siting and maintaining fishing line disposal bins, running online information sessions (Wetwheels Yorkshire Live!) plus providing a film platform for tv interviews and promotional videos as seen here (look out for your favourite accessible power boat towards the end) ...
Brief highlights of Wetwheels Yorkshire's Amble Outreach 2021.
New for the 2021 season, this video features everythign that's terrific about the Yorkshire Coast - including Wetwheels Yorkshire!
A lovely video of a special trip taken in Summer 2020. In the midst of the C19 pandemic, Wetwheels Yorkshire was able to deliver a limited number of trips to families emerging from shielding. Safe, exhilarating and emotional for everyone involved. This trip, taken out of Scarborough, had it all....
On August 1st 2018 (Yorkshire Day) Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, visited Whitby to meet participants and crew on board Wetwheels Yorkshire. Her Royal Highness then performed a naming ceremony to officially welcome the fifth boat into the Wetwheels fleet.
Following the arrival of Wetwheels Yorkshire into Whitby in June 2018, she travelled to the nearby port of Scarborough to run the first ever fully accessible trips from the UK's first ever holiday resort.
