SPORTS Forum for the Disabled has received funding of more than £14,000 from the grant giving charity, Talbot Village Trust, to carry out essential repairs on its 10 metre sailing catamaran.

The catamaran, named Knoticat, has been owned and operated by the forum for the past 16 years and has been running for a total of 45 years. The boat is used to give disabled members of the community and their carers the chance to experience sailing from Poole Harbour, out to Studland and along the Jurassic Coast.

Knoticat sails every weekday, weather permitting, from April to September each year, and is free of charge for its disabled members.

After 16 years of service the funding received from the Trust was used to replace Knoticat’s engine and carry out repairs to the boat’s saloon and mast. New lifejackets were also purchased for passengers to wear when aboard the vessel.

Richard Monaghan, chairman and fundraiser of Sports Forum for the Disabled, said: "Without the continuous help of Talbot Village Trust over the 16 years we have been operating, we would not have had the funds required to keep Knoticat running and give thousands of our disabled members the experience of going offshore sailing.

"Everyone who works on the boat is a volunteer and our sailing trips are only made possible by the generosity of those who support us with donations. It is important to us that all money received goes towards keeping Knoticat on the water for our members to enjoy."

Russell Lucas Rowe, trustee, added: "It is so fantastic to see all the members of Sports Forum for the Disabled continuing to experience the joys of sailing around our beautiful coastline. We are happy to have been given the chance to continue to help this unique cause."

Talbot Village Trust meets biannually, and will be accepting applications for funding from both previous and new applicants in the area before the Trustees meet again in November. For more information, go to Talbotvillagetrust.org.

The Talbot Village Trust is the legacy of two sisters who founded Talbot Village in the mid-19th century as a reaction to rural poverty. The village provided housing, a school and a church as well as agricultural land to grow food.