The AHOY Centre

This Week at The Ahoy Centre ⛵

Holiday Programme Fun! ☀️

Our latest holiday programme cohort has enjoyed a fantastic week of rowing and sailing on the water! Haven't booked your place yet? Don't worry—more dates have been added, but spaces are filling up fast, so book now: https://the-ahoy-centre.as.me/schedule/b7d1e576/?categories[]=Holiday%20Programme

Sailability 💙
Another brilliant Sailability session this week, with plenty of smiles both on and off the water.

CSR Day 👏
A huge thank you to our eight volunteers from LexisNexis Risk Management, who joined us for a day of giving back. The team rolled up their sleeves to help with maintenance and cleaning around the centre, while also learning more about the work we do and the impact we have on our community. We really appreciate your support!

Traffic Jam Afloat! 🚢
A rather different kind of traffic jam at Greenwich Ship Tier as Viking Sky cast off—proof that even the River Thames has its busy moments!

Whatever you're up to this weekend, have a fantastic one, and we'll see you on the water soon! 🌊

The wait is over! 🎉

We're thrilled to announce The Thames Loop – South East London's newest fundraising walk!

📅 Saturday 26th September
🚶 Choose from a 5-mile or 10-mile route
📍 Starting and finishing at The Ahoy Centre

Follow the beautiful River Thames, receive your exclusive Thames Loop T-shirt, and celebrate your achievement with us at our finishers' party back at the centre.
Every step you take will help support The Ahoy Centre, giving young people across South East London the chance to experience sailing, rowing and powerboating on the River Thames.

These opportunities do so much more than get young people out on the water. They help build confidence, develop teamwork and communication skills, and create life-changing experiences. Thanks to our supporters, most of our programmes are free or heavily subsidised, making them accessible to children and young people who might otherwise miss out.

That's why The Thames Loop matters. We're hoping this becomes an annual community event, raising vital funds to help even more young people discover their potential.

Will you walk with us? 💙

Sign up today via the link below and be part of something special.

https://ahoy.org.uk/the-thames-loop/

This Week at The Ahoy Centre

It's been another busy week at the centre! Here's what we've been up to:

⛵ Sailability fun in the sun
Five of our Sailability participants enjoyed a fantastic morning of sailing with volunteers Peter and Kyle. We missed Jane, who is recovering at home with a broken arm – wishing you a speedy recovery, Jane!

🎉 A generous community donation
A huge thank you to our neighbour, Rosamund, who stopped by with a generous donation raised at the Millennium Quay Residents' Association Summer Picnic. We really appreciate your support!

🙌 Welcoming new volunteers
Felix met with some prospective volunteers this week to discuss how they can support the work of the centre. We're looking forward to welcoming them to the team! Interested in volunteering? Find out more here:

https://ahoy.org.uk/volunteer/

☀️ Summer Holiday Programmes
Our Summer Holiday Programmes have proved so popular that they've sold out! The good news is we've added one final week, so there's still time to book your place:

https://ahoy.org.uk/holiday-activities/

👀 Something exciting is coming...
We're not quite ready to share the news just yet, but trust us—it's worth the wait! Check back here at 6:30pm for the big reveal.

Will you? 👀🚶🏾🚶🏻‍♂️🚶🏼

👀🥾

👀👣

This Week at The Ahoy Centre

Open Day

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Open Day on Saturday! Visitors enjoyed rowing taster sessions both on and off the water, fun and games in the yard, the opportunity to meet our team, explore our facilities, and even take a look at our brand new lift. It was a wonderful day, and we loved welcoming so many new and familiar faces to The Ahoy Centre.

Sailability

Our Sailability participants enjoyed a fantastic keelboat sailing session, supported by our brilliant volunteers, Peter, Miguel and Kyle. Thank you to all three for helping make the day a success.

Sailing for All

Students from Cubitt Town Primary School spent two exciting days on the water learning the fundamentals of sailing. By the end of the programme, they had all achieved their RYA Stage 1 Sailing Certificate—a fantastic accomplishment. Congratulations to all who took part !

Texel Triumph!

On 17th June, our friends from the returned for their second rowing challenge.

Following the success of their first challenge in 2025, they came back stronger than ever. This year, 60 rowers took to the water across 10 Thames Waterman Cutters, with an ambitious fundraising target of £30,000—and they're so close to reaching it!

On behalf of the participants, volunteers, trustees and staff at The Ahoy Centre, a huge thank you to everyone who took part, donated, fundraised or showed their support. The challenge completed by those 60 rowers will translate directly into life-changing opportunities on the water for young people across London.

Here's what Texel Foundation Manager, Emily Bild, had to say:

"We're proud to support The Ahoy Centre for a second year running. Our office—and, in fact, most of the London insurance market—is just a five-minute walk from the Thames, yet it's easy to take this river and everything it has to offer for granted.

The programmes The Ahoy Centre runs on the Thames are life-changing for the children and young people they work with. They are committed to bridging the social and economic gap, ensuring that everyone in the local community can benefit from access to and opportunities on the River Thames.

This aligns closely with our own values as a Foundation. We actively seek to support small and medium-sized charities focused on social mobility. We know how vital the work of The Ahoy Centre is, and how important unrestricted funding is in giving them the flexibility to direct resources where they're needed most.

The 10-mile challenge along the Thames was a brilliant experience for everyone involved. It's a unique opportunity and a privilege to be on the river, and it was a fantastic day full of camaraderie, team-building and, above all, fun."

The Ahoy team is immensely proud of its special partnership with the Texel Group and the Texel Foundation, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back on the water next year.

Photo credit: Amanda Morrison

If you'd like to help the Texel teams reach their fundraising target, you can make a donation here:

https://ahoycentre.enthuse.com/cf/the-texel-group---london-landmarks-rowing-challeng

Need an uplifting story? 😊

On Saturday, we were delighted to officially open our brand new lift, generously funded by , alongside fantastic improvements to our main hall, including new flooring, windows, heating and lighting.

The new lift replaces our old one, which unfortunately reached the end of its life. We can't tell you how pleased we are that the first floor of the centre is once again fully accessible to everyone.

A huge thank you to for making these essential improvements possible. Your support has made a real difference to our centre and our community.

🌞 Summer Holiday Activity Programmes – New dates added! 🌞

🚨 FINAL SPACES REMAINING! 🚨

📅 24th–28th August – Only 2 spaces left!

📅 1st–4th September (4-day programme) – Just 12 spaces remaining!

Did you know? Families who are eligible for the Childcare Voucher Scheme can receive 20% off their booking.

Don't miss out – book your child's place today before the remaining spaces are filled!

https://ahoy.org.uk/holiday-activities/