The Trust’s activities are about changing lives, by providing opportunities and inspiring. Details of specific support for younger people and people with disabilities can be found by clicking on the links on the right, but the Trust has also supported a number of targeted projects.
One project, using financial support from Sport England’s Sportivate programme and the Synergy Housing Company and with practical support from the RYA and Department of Work & Pensions [DWP] offered the opportunity to 15 unemployed 16-24 year old people to learn to sail. This week long programme taught new skills and improved confidence for participants. The most promising of the participants then had the opportunity to train as sailing instructors. After a three month training period, all three participants qualified as instructors and immediately took up positions with sailing schools.
“It changed my life from working in a bar with unsociable work hours to working outside having fun! Not once did I not want to go; it wasn’t like a job at all!”
A similar, but smaller, scheme was operated the following year with four participants successfully training to become windsurfing instructors.
Further projects supported by the Trust include the multi sport arena on Weymouth beach (established whilst hosting the sailing events for the London 2012 Games), funding a special project for young offenders on the Tall ship Pelican, and partnering with the Boleh Trust and Rona Sailing Trust to enable groups of young people to sail aboard this historic junk yacht and 20m ketch. More details can be found on the page entitled Inspiring Children.
Working with the Andrew Simpson Watersports Centre, the CST funds a SailFit programme aimed at improving the health and well-being of schoolchildren. Run over several days, the programme uses sailing at it’s heart to stimulate interest in physical activity, but encourages healthy eating and mental and physical well- being with shore based education sessions.