I think I'm getting a bit confused - is it just the sailing res and surrounds which this involves or is it the reserve as well?
If the RSPB took over would that mean them buying the outdoor centre and then taking over the reserve portion from the Trust? Or am I misunderstanding the relationships between the ownership of the outdoor centre and the reserve.
By the sounds of the article though it's a case of the local authority wanting to have their cake and eat it. In other words they want the savings of not owning the site but still want to be able to offer it to pupils. Which would mean they're unlikely to sell to someone who wanted to prioritise birding/conservation over outdoor activities.
Personally, I'd love to see someone try to run a place like UW commercially and maybe someone at the Trust will have the vision for that but I'd guess they'll argue that it is not their core business.
Sorry to be pragmatic. As a penance I'll buy an extra lottery ticket this week
Paul