Cymraeg 
Plas Heli Cyf – The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event Centre, a volunteer not for profit distribution community enterprise company, with charitable aims and where all surpluses are reinvested back into the facility for everyone's benefit....
Community engagement remains central to our mission at Plas Heli. Throughout 2026 we have continued to invest in our facilities, expand our offer, and support a wide range of activities that benefit local residents, organisations, and visitors.
- Meeting Rooms - Daily Community Use
Plas Heli now provides four refurbished meeting rooms, upgraded with new furniture and improved layouts to enhance comfort and accessibility. These rooms are in daily use by a wide variety of community groups and service providers, including:
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- Prifysgol Bangor – Welsh language learning for adults, using three of the four meeting rooms across two days each week throughout the academic year.
- Mother and Baby Group – meeting every Monday morning.
- NHS Vaccination Programme – delivering Covid vaccinations throughout June, July, and August, with further sessions planned for November and into 2027. This provides vital support for elderly and vulnerable members of the community.
- First Aid Training – recent example includes two full days of training for the Sheultra team.
- Regular Community Group Meetings – weekly sessions for local organisations and clubs.
Significant investment has been made to refurbish these rooms, ensuring a welcoming and professional environment for all users.
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Main Hall – Supporting Major Community and Charity Events
The Main Hall continues to be a versatile space used for large‑scale community activities and events, including:
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- Swim Safe – water safety sessions for primary school children over two days in June.
- Sheultra – registration hub using the Main Hall and meeting rooms, with secure compounds supporting the start and finish.
- Rali Llyn – use of rooms, hall, and compound for event operations.
- Tractor Run – hall, compound, and quayside used for the start of this popular community event.
- SeaFit Health Event – “Stronger at Sea” – providing health and wellbeing support for fishermen, using the Main Hall and compound.
- Caban Heli – Daily Community Access
Plas Heli is very pleased to facilitate the daily use of Caban Heli (the former Sailing Club building) by Derwen, a school supporting children and young people with additional learning needs. The facility provides a safe, welcoming, and accessible environment, offering dedicated space within the community where learners benefit from structured support and meaningful activities. This important community project was featured on the ‘Project Pum Mil’ programme on S4C, where the wider business community came together to support the conversion of the facility for this valuable purpose.
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Other Community Works
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RNLI
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Plas Heli plays a supportive and valued role for the Pwllheli RNLI, located immediately on our southern boundary. We provide free use of our facilities and parking areas for numerous charitable and fundraising events held at the lifeboat station. Plas Heli has also supplied furniture and other essential items to assist the RNLI in delivering successful local fundraising activities, reinforcing our commitment to supporting this vital lifesaving service within the community.
Pwllheli RNLI Chairman, Gerallt Williams, said “We are very proud and extremely fortunate to have Plas Heli, The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre as our neighbours. Their generous support and regular assistance given to our fundraising activities is truly invaluable and greatly appreciated”
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Beach Wheelchair
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Plas Heli is proud to provide a home for the Beach Wheelchair, which is made available for public use on the beach adjoining the Centre. The wheelchair was generously provided by the Wheely Pete Charity and championed locally by John Brynmor Hughes and Peter Read. A booking link is available for anyone wishing to use the chair. see this link for booking.
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Disability Boat
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Plas Heli is also delighted to support the Disability Boat, which is moored on the Plas Heli pontoons. This initiative enhances accessible water‑based opportunities for individuals with additional needs and strengthens our commitment to inclusive participation.
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Facilities to Support for Youth Sailing (CHIPAC)
Plas Heli provides a secure inner compound for CHIPAC, the youth sailing section of Pwllheli Sailing Club, together with dedicated space in the Hub building for the storage of dinghies and equipment. We also provide easy access from the compound to the beach launching area, supported by an accessible beach mat to assist safe and efficient launching. In addition, CHIPAC has the use of two Plas Heli RIBs for safety training every Friday throughout the sailing season, further enhancing the development of young sailors and supporting safe participation.
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Facilities and Support for the Rowing Club
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Pwllheli Sea Cadets
The Pwllheli Sea Cadets have benefited from the use of the Main Hall for meetings and training sessions, and have also had occasional access to the Plas Heli pontoons. This support strengthens youth development opportunities and encourages safe participation in maritime activities.
- Pwllheli Sailing Club.
Pwllheli Sailing Club sets its home at Plas Heli and benefits from the use of the Centre’s facilities. This includes access to meeting rooms, the Main Hall, compounds, pontoons, and supporting infrastructure, enabling the Club to deliver a wide range of sailing activities, major events such as the IRC Welsh Nationals, training sessions, and community‑focused activities throughout the year.
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Other Sailing Clubs
Plas Heli also provides facilities and operational support to other sailing clubs. South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club (SCYC) makes use of the quayside and crane for launching, storage, and recovery activities. We additionally support other clubs with access and facilities for their sea‑training programmes, helping to promote safe and inclusive participation across the wider sailing community.
