Charity which operates tall ship Tenacious hits £500,000 target - but needs to reach £1.2m by September to ensure survival

The Jubilee Sailing Trust, which operates the tall ship Tenacious, pleaded with people in April to donate to their charity after cash flow problems posed a threat.

Based in Southampton. the trust sails Tenacious from Portsmouth with mixed disabled and non-disabled crews.

Its campaign to raise the £500,000 needed to stay afloat was successful, but now the trust has the challenge of bringing its total up to £1.2m by the end of September 2022 to survive.

Jubilee Sailing Trust chair Charles Humpleby, who also acts as the chair of the Jersey branch, said: ‘We will push on to maintain the current momentum to keep raising emergency cash.

‘We are now at over £520k with a number of pending applications to trusts and foundations to the tune of £65k.’

The charity was founded in 1978 to encourage disabled and non-disabled people to work together and reduce prejudices.

It has raised 51 per cent of the overall sum, reaching a total of £612,795 that has been donated or pledged, but need to continue fundraising in order to hit its overall target.

The charity has blamed the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the non-existent financial support from the government’s Covid recovery loan scheme for the situation they are in currently.

It added that because they are a ‘specialist charity providing life changing tall ship experiences’, costs have risen to a ‘critical point.’

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The trust is having ongoing discussions with ‘a number of large institutions’ to get them one step closer to the £1.2m by September.

Their endeavour to raise the initial £500,000 has seen more than 1,000 new people join the mission and donate.

Charles said: ‘Thank you for all the support you have given this most worthy charity that will continue to give people of mixed abilities and circumstances the freedom to explore their ability, potential and place in the world through inclusive adventures at sea on SV Tenacious – the only tall ship in the world designed and built by disabled and non-disabled volunteers to accommodate such needs.’