At a time when rising living costs, stretched school budgets and widening inequality are placing increasing pressure on families and educators, demand for charitable support continues to rise. More young people require financial assistance to access residential experiences, develop essential life skills and explore viable career pathways.
In response, The Edmiston Foundation’s partnership with UKSA has continued to deliver measurable change for young people facing disadvantage. Through flexible, sustained support, UKSA has expanded access to high-quality outdoor learning, strengthened welfare provision and developed clear progression routes into the maritime sector.
The Foundation’s investment ensures that these opportunities remain accessible at scale and at critical decision points in young people’s lives.
Impact at a glance: 2025
Across the year, UKSA welcomed 4,151 children and young people from 108 schools and youth groups for residential outdoor learning. Of these, 742 pupils were only able to attend because of the Leave No Child Behind fund, with 34 schools receiving direct financial support to ensure children experiencing hardship were not excluded. Among those supported in 2025 were 508 pupils in receipt of Free School Meals and 552 from families on Universal Credit. A further 396 spoke English as an additional language, while 138 had learning difficulties or disabilities and 106 were on an Education, Health and Care Plan. In addition, 55 were experiencing mental health challenges, 45 were young carers, and 426 could not swim on arrival.
The figures represent far more than programme participation. They reflect targeted intervention at critical stages in a young person’s development, from first access to outdoor learning through to professional maritime qualifications. The Edmiston Foundation’s investment in 2025 has removed financial barriers, widened access and ensured that young people facing disadvantage are not excluded from formative experiences that build confidence, competence and ambition.
Leave No Child Behind: Building confidence through experience
Through the Leave No Child Behind fund, The Edmiston Foundation funded 170 children to experience a residential stay at UKSA in 2025. This support extended beyond course fees, ensuring children had access to essential items such as swimwear, waterproofs, sunscreen and toiletries so they arrived feeling prepared and included, able to focus fully on participation and challenge.
Teachers reported clear improvements in communication, resilience, teamwork and self-belief, not only during the residential but in the months that followed. Measured outcomes demonstrated substantial gains across all seven key developmental indicators, including a 58% improvement in communication and a 63% increase in decision-making. Participation rose by 74%, while self-belief increased by 76% and determination by 73%. Resilience improved by 68%, and water confidence, often a key barrier on arrival, increased by 80%. Notably, 86% of participants expressed a willingness to return, reflecting the confidence and sense of achievement developed during their experience.
“UKSA was the best. I learned lots of new skills and it made me feel really proud of myself. I had never seen the sea or been away from home before, so this was a really big adventure for me. It made me believe I can do anything.”
Sephira, aged 11, Washwood Academy
Group Leader, Russel, at Kings Heath Boys School, comments: “Many of our students never get the chance to take part in trips like this. Seeing them build belief in themselves and learn vital water safety skills is incredibly important. Most of the group truly came out of their shells.”
For 17-year-old Zaira, the impact was lasting: “Even though our visit was only four days, it opened doors I never knew existed. The support that made this possible gave me confidence, new skills, and a belief in what my future could look like.”
Sea.Change and Maritime Futures: Expanding horizons
The Sea.Change fund provides bursary support for Maritime Futures, UKSA’s five-day residential programme introducing young people to maritime careers. In 2025, 332 young people participated in Maritime Futures. Of these, 305 were able to attend through bursary support. The Edmiston Foundation directly funded 105 of those places.
Many participants arrived with limited awareness of maritime careers and low confidence in their own abilities. Through practical water-based activity, simulator sessions, career workshops and exposure to industry environments, young people developed the core competencies employers value most: communication, teamwork, resilience, problem-solving and adaptability.
Neil Mackintosh of Tile Cross School comments: “Many who previously struggled with motivation showed new determination and a growing belief in their ability to overcome challenges.”
For Drew, aged 16, the week reshaped his ambitions: “This week has been amazing. I’ve learned skills like tying knots and sailing a keelboat, and it’s made me want to work towards becoming a Skipper and eventually a Captain. I’m excited to see where this takes me.”
Aisha, Group Leader at Dream Chasers, comments: “The Maritime Futures programme benefits young people who live in a bubble. It’s especially powerful for the girls, meeting other groups and feeling safe in a new environment. The instructors have been relatable, inclusive and supportive.”
Case study: Wey Valley School
In October, 30 students from Wey Valley School attended Maritime Futures. For many, it was their first time away from home and their first exposure to structured maritime pathways.
Teacher at Wey Valley School, Mr Salmon, described the transformation: “Watching them navigate new responsibilities and take ownership of their learning was extraordinary. Several students spoke confidently about maritime pathways now open to them.”
He adds: “One student, Leah, experienced one of the most remarkable transformations of the week. Usually quiet, anxious and reluctant to step forward in group activities, she spent the first morning observing from the edges. As the programme unfolded, she began taking small but significant steps — volunteering for tasks, asking questions and contributing confidently during team challenges. By the final day, Leah was a different young person: proud of her achievements, energised by the experience and already planning what she wanted to try next.”
Callum, who arrived doubting his abilities, emerged as a natural leader. Mr Salmon shares:
“I had never seen Callum so focused or willing to persevere. For him, the residential wasn’t simply a positive experience. It was a turning point.”
These students come from highly deprived areas, where financial and social barriers often limit opportunity. Without support from the Sea.Change Fund, this experience would have been out of reach. Beyond cost, many were previously unaware of the range of maritime careers available to them, despite living in a town with a strong maritime heritage and a growing port.
The programme arrived at a critical point as students began considering their post-16 pathways. Exposure to shipping, logistics and maritime services broadened their understanding of what is possible. As a result, two students have since begun exploring formal training routes and career options within the sector, taking practical steps to understand how they might pursue a future in maritime.
Pathways into careers: Bursaries in action
UKSA’s bursary programme is designed to remove financial barriers for young people ready to progress from inspiration into employment within the maritime industry. These non-repayable bursaries provide access to industry-recognised training, qualifications and structured career pathways, ensuring that talent and determination, not personal circumstance, define a young person’s future.
In 2025, The Edmiston Foundation supported 11 young people to progress into maritime careers through targeted bursary funding. This included one superyacht crew trainer, two professional Yachtmaster Offshore students, two superyacht cadets and six watersports instructor trainees. Six of these students received full funding, with additional assistance covering essential costs such as travel, clothing and equipment — practical barriers that might otherwise have prevented them from completing training.
Nathan Brooks, an Edmiston-funded cadet, shared: “I’m having the time of my life on the course and have made so many great friends. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support from Edmiston.”
Several bursary recipients are already progressing into employment or advanced training, demonstrating the strength of UKSA’s pathway from first experience to professional qualification. Bailey Lucas Rawe has gained international experience as a watersports instructor in the British Virgin Islands and is preparing for a Mediterranean charter season, illustrating the global mobility these pathways can unlock.
Amara Roberts, now on UKSA’s four-year Superyacht Cadetship, credits bursary support as transformational: “My time at UKSA has been extremely positive and rewarding. The combination of professional instruction and real offshore passages has helped me grow technically and personally. I feel increasingly prepared for work in the maritime and superyacht industry.”
Welfare and pastoral investment
Alongside programme delivery, UKSA provides year-round welfare and pastoral support to ensure young people are not only able to access training, but are supported to remain engaged, safe and able to thrive. This includes working with those managing complex personal circumstances alongside their education or training, including poor mental health, financial hardship, learning differences, bereavement and instability at home.
In 2025, The Edmiston Foundation strengthened this provision by increasing the capacity of UKSA’s Welfare Team, enabling more timely and consistent support before, during and after courses. A dedicated Cadet Welfare Officer was recruited to focus specifically on those undertaking the Superyacht Cadetship, ensuring continuity of care throughout training and at key transition points into employment.
This targeted support contributed to a reduction in cadet withdrawals, from four in the previous year to just one in 2025. The additional capacity has also allowed UKSA to continue delivering accredited Mental Health First Aid training and structured wellbeing workshops to all cadets, embedding a preventative, whole-programme approach that supports resilience and long-term progression.
The increased capacity has also enabled UKSA to deliver crew welfare training beyond its own programmes, supporting the wider maritime sector to better recognise and respond to wellbeing needs. Together, this ensures that access to opportunity is matched with the support required to sustain engagement and achieve lasting personal and professional progression.
A partnership with lasting reach
Since the partnership began, 712 children and young people have accessed vital outdoor learning experiences that would otherwise have been out of reach. A further 528 young people have developed essential life and employability skills through structured programmes designed to build confidence, resilience and ambition. In addition, 51 young people have progressed towards careers in the maritime sector through funded training and qualifications. At every stage, participants have been supported by safe, modern facilities and consistent wrap-around welfare provision to ensure they are able not only to access opportunity, but to sustain and build on it.
This partnership represents not a one-off intervention, but a structured pathway from first exposure through to sustainable employment. From first exposure to the sea, through targeted skills development and career insight, to professional qualifications and employment, the partnership supports progression at each critical point.
As demand continues to grow, the value of long-term, flexible support becomes ever clearer. The Edmiston Foundation enables UKSA to respond to need, invest in quality delivery and ensure that potential is not defined by circumstance. Together, we are building confidence, capability and ambition, supporting young people to move forward with clarity and resilience into meaningful futures.
To help extend this impact and support more young people to access opportunity, please consider making a donation to UKSA today. Together, we can ensure that potential is not limited by circumstance.