Roseland Youth Sailing Trust is 10 years old.
It all began in 2015, when Dina Wheatcroft set out to make sailing accessible to all children in mid-Cornwall.
She founded RYST to challenge the notion that, despite Cornwall’s maritime heritage, sailing was only for ‘posh people’, and to ensure that money would be no barrier to children having fun on the water, while gaining the many benefits of learning to sail.
Initially, RYST provided support for talented individuals. But it soon became obvious that the fairest and most effective way of reaching all children in mid-Cornwall was to offer sailing through schools in term-time during school hours.
A simple idea, but making it happen proved challenging. “I wrote to all the schools in our area offering free sailing lessons for their children and was inundated with…nothing”, says Dina. “They thought it was too good to be true. I had to sit down with each of them to persuade them there wasn’t a catch.” Today, RYST serves 21 schools across the Roseland and Clay Country.
In 10 years of operation RYST has raised £332,785. Three quarters (£254,584) of that has funded school sailing for 2,422 children at RYA-approved centres. In 2021, we started sending groups of teenagers on 10-day offshore voyages to build confidence and life skills. So far 58 young people have taken part, funded by £64,995 from local sponsors. And individual grants have accounted for an additional £13,206.
Now, like the children we first sent sailing 10 years ago, RYST has grown up a bit, and to celebrate our 10th birthday this October, we have become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. CIO status confers limited liability in recognition of the robust governance we have in place, making it easier to attract new trustees.
And following Dina’s change of role to Founding Patron, we have a new chairman: Mark Osborn, whose dedication to changing young lives through sailing is second to none.
Says Mark: “There’s no limit to the enthusiasm with which children take to the water and learn to sail. The only limit is the funding available, so we’re profoundly grateful to the many individuals, charities, and local organisations who have helped create so much joy in our first 10 years. As we embark on the next leg of our voyage, I hope we can count on your continued and much-appreciated support.”
60 of our supporters joined us at Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes on Wednesday 29th October to celebrate.
Mark Osborn began by presenting highlights of our 10 years. He was followed by Willow, who described how RYST had supported her sailing from an early age to the present, as a British Sailing Team hopeful.
Willow was followed by Rose, who took part in this year’s Offshore Sailing expedition, sponsored by Helen and Billy Billington, and went on to climb Snowden and Ben Nevis to fund a place for another young person in next year’s voyage.
Headteacher Jeremy Walden gave a moving speech about the difference taking part in the Schools programme made to children at Roche School.
He said: “We are surrounded by water in Cornwall but children from Roche rarely get in it, let alone on it in a sailing boat. Sailing is unattainable as an activity for most of our pupils and families so it is an opportunity that exceeds normal experience and expectations.”
The proceedings ended with a celebratory cake, made by Lydia of St Mawes Bakery and cut by Dina.
Our thanks to all who attended, to Tresanton for hosting the event in their beautiful hotel, to their staff for looking after us so well and to Tarquin’s Cornish Gin for treating us to their excellent produce.