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There is, says Dina Rogan, something refreshing and life-affirming about the feel of sea spray on your face and the sensation of the wind blowing through your hair.
But, despite the proximity of every islander to the sea, these natural phenomena are not as universally accessible as you might assume.
Indeed, it was in recognition of the difficulties that some people face with enjoying life by the water that, 11 years ago, Wet Wheels Jersey was established, with the charity’s aim being to give anyone, regardless of their disability or financial situation, the opportunity to access the sea “in a safe, stimulating and rewarding way”.
But while the charity’s mission may be clear and precise, as its Chief Operating Officer says, her own involvement with Wet Wheels Jersey happened “almost by accident”.
“It all began just after I had returned to the island after living in Devon for a few years,” Jersey-born Dina explained.
Listen: Dina spoke about her journey with Wet Wheels, the importance of support, and their upcoming True Grit fundraiser on The Interview from Bailiwick Podcasts – click to listen or find it on your favourite pod provider.
“I was wandering around the Boat Show when I bumped into [former Harbour Master and Chief Executive of Ports of Jersey] Howard Le Cornu.
“He told me about this new charity, which had just been set up to take disabled people out onto the water, and asked whether I would be interested in managing the bookings.
“As a person who had grown up in and around the water, and who has boating in their blood, I immediately said ‘yes’, but explained that, having just returned to the island, I also needed to find a job.”
And it was that job which, indirectly, led to Dina joining the charity as its sole full-time employee five years ago.
“I got a job as an Executive Assistant at Heritage Oil,” she said.
“The company was brilliant, as the management team allowed me to do what I needed to for Wet Wheels from the office. As with so many roles, the workload with Wet Wheels grew bigger and bigger and I started taking on more and more.
“When Heritage Oil closed its local office in 2019, the charity appointed me as its Operations Director.”
Pictured: As Operations Director, Dina is involved in almost every aspect of Wet Wheels' work.
It is a position which, as Dina explains, sees her involved with almost all areas of the charity.
“I do everything from making sure that the boat is fit for purpose, ensuring that all the equipment is serviced, bringing on the volunteers, fundraising and, whenever possible, crewing some of the trips,” she said.
While enjoying every element of her work, there is little doubt that Dina’s greatest pleasure comes from joining the passengers on board the charity’s Cheetah 9.2 catamaran.
Pictured: Dina’s greatest pleasure comes from joining the passengers on board the charity’s Cheetah 9.2 catamaran.
“Time doesn’t allow me to get out as often as I would like to but, whenever I do, I get a real feel-good factor from the experience,” she said.
“You can have had a really busy day and have all sorts of thoughts racing around your mind when you approach the vessel but, as soon as you get on board, all of that stress disappears and you are in the here and now with the group. It is a really life-affirming experience.”
What makes the experience so life-affirming, says Dina, is the difference that being on the boat makes to the charity’s passengers.
“I love boating and to be able to give people with a disability the same chance to experience that love of the sea is amazing,” she reflected.
“A lot of people who come on a Wet Wheels trip wouldn’t be able to get on a RIB or even a sailing boat. But we don’t just take people out for a ride – everyone gets the chance to drive the boat, which really adds to their experience.
“A lot of our passengers will never be able to drive a car, so to have the chance to drive a motorboat with two big powerful engines on the back of it is tremendously empowering for them and gives them so much confidence.
Pictured: “I love boating and to be able to give people with a disability the same chance to experience that love of the sea is amazing.”
“I remember going on one trip with a lady from EYECAN. When I asked her whether she was going to drive the boat, she said there was no way she could do that because of her sight impairment.
"I told her that as long as she knew her left from her right, my skipper would be her eyes and, sure enough, she drove the boat and couldn’t believe that she was able to do that."
“In another memorable instance," Dina continued, "We helped an islander who had been described to his mother as the ‘most disabled person in Jersey’. When she approached us, she didn’t know whether we would be able to accommodate her son on the boat but we were determined to make it happen.
"I just said, ‘whatever it takes, we will get him out’, and those two hours, when he was able to experience life on the water again, were incredibly special both for him and his mum.
“Not only does this kind of experience empower the individual concerned, and bring joy to them and their families, but it is also empowering for the crew, as it feels so good to be able to provide that opportunity.”
At the heart of Wet Wheels Jersey’s philosophy is inclusivity and that means that passengers are never charged for their trips.
“It is very important to us that the trips are available to absolutely everyone, and not just to those people who are financially secure,” said Dina.
But while a critical part of the charity’s ethos, as demand for Wet Wheels Jersey’s service has grown, so has the importance of fundraising.
“In our first year, we took out about 400 passengers,” Dina recalled. “That has now risen to around 1,500 passengers across 230 trips each year, with many of the outings arranged in conjunction with other charities and organisations such as Mont à l’Abbé School, Jersey Cheshire Home, Les Amis and Shelter Trust.”
Pictured: Each trip costs around £500 to put on.
With each trip costing around £500 to put on, the pressure to raise funds is greater than ever. But, as Dina says, it is increasingly challenging to generate the money needed.
“I am very fortunate to have my salary funded by various trusts but we rely on donations, fundraising and corporate sponsorship to cover all our other costs,” she explained.
“The corporate sponsorship is key and I encourage businesses not only to sponsor two trips but also to bring two members of staff on the trip. By sharing this experience with our crew and passengers, you get that firsthand insight into the benefits that Wet Wheels brings to people and also get to share the feel-good factor that comes from being part of it.”
The biggest fundraising event on the charity’s calendar is the True Grit Wet Wheels Challenge, which takes place on 28 April at Ronez Quarry.
“This will be the fourth year that the challenge has taken place and I would love to see around 500 people register for this month’s event,” said Dina.
“People can enter either individually or in teams of three and, following feedback from previous participants, we have reduced the minimum age limit, so that now anyone in Year 4 or above can take part.
“This is a brilliant family or team-building event, with separate courses for children and adults. We call it a challenge, rather than a race, because the emphasis is on having fun and completing the course, which features a range of obstacles.
"The event is unique both in its format – it is not just a 5k or 10k run – and in location, giving people a rare chance to run around Ronez Quarry.
“The feedback from the event is really positive, and I have to say a big thank you to Ronez, 3D Events and our sponsors, Ravenscroft, for making it possible.”
Pictured: Wet Wheels' biggest fundraising event is the True Grit Wet Wheels Challenge, which takes place this year on 28 April at Ronez Quarry.
Helping people to recover from their exertions, the event features music from DJ Nelson and pizza and coffee.
“This year, we are also running a competition among schools, offering a Wet Wheels trip for ten people to the school which enters the most students,” said Dina.
“The places on the boat can be allocated however the school wants to, perhaps as a reward to students who achieve the highest marks in a test, or those who are the kindest or make a particular contribution to school life.
“I am also hoping to see lots of corporate teams enter the event, as the number of workplace teams has dropped since covid, partly, I think, because more people are now working from home which has reduced the number of conversations around the kettle and water cooler.”
While fundraising is one of the biggest challenges facing Dina, it is by no means the only factor causing her a few sleepless nights.
“One of the main challenges is finding skippers,” she explained. “We have five skippers and around 30 voluntary crew members but, as many of our skippers work, it can be difficult to find people available at the time we want to run trips.
"I would love to hear from anyone who either has a commercial licence, or who would be willing to obtain one, so that we could increase the number of people who we could call on.
Pictured: Wet Wheels has have five skippers and around 30 voluntary crew members.
“People wouldn’t need to commit a huge amount of time to Wet Wheels. Even if they were only available for one day a month, that would make a huge difference. And I think they would be pleasantly surprised by the experience.
"Most people who join the Wet Wheels crew do so because they have a love of boats and want to give something back to the community but they are shocked by what they have gained from the experience. They came into it thinking that they were giving and have discovered that they are also receiving, which is really lovely.”
And it is not just the crew and the people with disabilities who benefit from a Wet Wheels outing.
“These experiences are hugely valuable to the family members who accompany their disabled relatives,” said Dina.
“This is one of the few opportunities they get to spend time together as a family, all enjoying the same activity. This makes it really special, as everyone can relax and enjoy the exhilaration that comes from being out on the water.
"After all, you really can’t beat that feel of the vibration of the boat, the sea spray on your face and the wind in your hair.”
This article first appeared in the April edition of Connect – pick up a free copy around the island or read the digital edition below...
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