Tall Ships Youth Trust Launches New Flagship Appeal at St James’s Palace
Press Release – October 2018
The Tall Ships Youth Trust, which offers young people, many of whom disadvantaged or disabled, life changing experiences at sea, launched its New Flagship Appeal at St James’s Palace this week.
The reception event, launched the new Appeal to raise funds for the purchase of a new flagship vessel akin to the Schooners the Trust owned 60 years ago.
The Tall Ships Youth Trust is the UK’s oldest and largest sail training charity supporting more than 1,200 people each year. Beneficiaries face challenges including learning difficulties, hearing or visual impairments or behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. It also enables young carers, youth offending units and other individuals not in employment, education or training to benefit from the experience of life on ocean going vessels.
The Trust’s current fleet includes four Challenger Yachts, a Catamaran and a Ketch which all provide a safe, physically and mentally challenging setting for people of all ages and abilities. In total, it is estimated that the Trust has helped 117,000 beneficiaries and sailed more than 2 million nautical miles, enough to go around the world nearly one hundred times.
It is hoped the purchase of the new vessel will enable the Trust to change the lives of thousands more young people by more than doubling the capacity they can take on the life changing voyages each year.
Richard Leaman-Grey, CEO at the Tall Ships Youth Trust, said:
There are nearly 3.7 million young people living in poverty in the UK and 800,000 who are not in education, employment or training. If we fail to fight their corner, yet another generation of disadvantaged and disabled young people will find themselves adrift, with no prospect of fulfilling their true potential in life.
We play a crucial role in giving these youngsters the right support to believe in themselves, to get jobs and lead fulfilled lives. With a new flagship we will be able to grow our capacity to reach and empower more and more young people. We need your support today to help us achieve this ambition.
For more information on the Tall Ships Youth Trust and to find out how to get involved as a donor or fundraiser, please visit: https://www.tallships.org/appeal/the-new-flagship-appeal
To help give more young people life changing experiences, please send donations to Tall Ships Youth Trust, 2A The Hard, PO1 3PT or text TSYT01 £5 to 70070 (the donation will be added to your phone bill) or donate online at tallships.org
ENDS
For further information, please contact Rebecca Jackson or Jake Setterfield on rebeccah@acceleris-mc.com / jakes@acceleris-mc.com or on 0845 4567 251
Notes to Editors:
The Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT), aims to inspire and encourage disadvantaged young people and people with disabilities to reach their true potential through the crewing of its sail training vessels. The charity operates nationally all year round to provide a safe and exciting residential learning environment for young people to develop independent living skills, social skills and to improve their life aspirations. TSYT takes around 1,200 crewmembers to sea for an average of 7 nights each year, over two-thirds of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds or have a disability. Over 90% of those who sail with the Trust say they believe the voyages help develop their team working, communication and problem-solving skills and the same number believe they increase their long-term life opportunities. Around 20% of young people who sail with us receive a recommendation to return and sail as a member of the Volunteer Crew which provides them with the opportunity to work towards nationally accredited maritime qualifications and could lead to a career at sea.