A sailing club will welcome more disabled members after a cash boost from grants totalling £165,000.

BTYC Sailsports, a volunteer-run sailing club based at the Welsh Harp reservoir has received money from organisations including Sport England, the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Awards for All and the Milly Apthorp Trust.

The grants will mainly fund improved facilities for disabled members, including better access to pontoons at the reservoir, which falls within the boroughs of Barnet and Brent. A training area will also be built and changing rooms enlarged.

Robin Imray, fundraiser and BTYC member, said: "It's brilliant news. It will be an enormous boost for the general facilities. It means we'll have the room to train that none of the other clubs on the Harp would have otherwise."

The club, which is open to all, already has members with a range of disabilites, from sight impairment and stroke complications to more serious problems.

Its current star is 15-year-old David Morse, who suffers from a lower limb abnormality. Since joining the BTYC David has learnt to sail trimarans (dinghies with three hulls) and is now training for the 2012 Paralympics.

The new building will be officially opened in March in time for the club's 2008 training season.

For a one-off sailing taster session visit the club's website www.btycsailsports.org.uk.