A rowing boat made its maiden voyage in Royal Wootton Bassett at the weekend.

In May the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board awarded the local Sea Cadets £2,000 to help them buy a Yole slide-seat rowing boat, complete with oars and road trailer.

It will enable the Royal Wootton Bassett and District Sea Cadets and adult volunteers to gain British Rowing association qualifications in both rowing and coaching.

And the Yole rowing boat had its maiden voyage on the renovated stretch of the Wilts and Berks Canal in Royal Wootton Bassett, thanks to the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust, on Sunday.

Representatives from the Sea Cadets, the area board and the canal trust were all there to see the boat take to the water for the first time.

Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade area board member Allison Bucknell said: “We were very pleased to award the Sea Cadets a grant to buy this rowing boat.

“As the Olympics has shown, the results of investing in local projects such as this can have a great effect on the local community.”