Through our charitable arm, the Edmiston Foundation, in 2022 we have taken huge steps in improving inclusivity in the marine world and have thrown our support behind critical conservation programmes, and our work is not done yet.
In the year ahead, we look forward to developing our environmental initiatives in key yachting regions, and we aim to provide even more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with a steppingstone into a successful career in the yachting world and invite you to support our work by making a donation.
Edmiston’s work with the Conservation Collective
Set up by Ben Goldsmith, the Conservation Collective is an environmental philanthropic organisation that looks to create a network of local foundations around the world committed to funding grass-roots conservation programmes.
The Edmiston Foundation’s key role has been in fundraising and directing funding where it is needed most, and we are delighted that this partnership has already seen big wins that will help us safeguard the future of our maritime environments.
Among the many successes of this collaboration is the Sea Turtle Monitoring Training Programme in St Vincent & the Grenadines.
By establishing a network of 25 local turtle monitors across 11 beaches, the programme has been able to collect data regarding the current state of nesting sea turtle populations that has helped identify threats and enable us to take a more targeted approach to conservation efforts.
Through training and active participation with local groups, the wider coastal community stakeholders have now become more aware of the issues the turtles face and are invested in protecting them.
The Edmiston Foundation and Conservation Collective have also seen success with the DigiFish programme we have run with the Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust.
In this programme, 30 small pelagic vessels were equipped with tracking devices to help inform policy on marine spatial planning and improve digital literacy among fisherfolk. The Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisation is now using the data gathered to track illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, and the project has been deemed such a success that St Vincent and the Grenadines is already interested in replicating it.
Edmiston’s work with the UKSA
Together with the UKSA, the Edmiston Foundation has been working hard to remove financial and social barriers for young people who might otherwise never be able to experience life on the water or consider a career in the maritime world.
The funding raised has enabled more than 2,000 children to experience an on-the-water school trip, while the Leave No Child Behind campaign has provided opportunities for children, be they inner-city children who have never seen the sea, or those from more challenging backgrounds, to gain the life-enhancing skills that maritime experiences can provide.
So far, the five-day residential Sea.Change Foundation programme has introduced 47 children from disadvantaged backgrounds to a breadth of career opportunities in the maritime industry. Several of these young people have already gone on to be awarded scholarships for further education or career courses.
The Foundation has also supported two young people onto further education courses, funded eight young people on careers courses, while one exceptional young man has been supported to take part in the UKSA’s flagship Cadetship programme.
Through the partnership, the Edmiston Foundation has enabled the UKSA team to develop engagement opportunities and to grow their relationships within the industry, ensuring that their beneficiaries are set up with the best chance of a long and successful career.
In July 2022, the UKSA’s Royal Patron, Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, opened the organisation’s brand-new £4m, 136-bed residential building, which will allow UKSA to welcome around 11,000 beneficiaries per annum in the years ahead.
On 23 January 2023 the UKSA’s founder, Sylvia Lister, will launch The Founders Club to promote and recognise individuals and businesses who are willing to consider having a lasting impact on young people’s lives.
Inviting people to support the continuing work of the organisation, Ben Willows, CEO of the UKSA, said: “As someone who knows the power of the sea to transform lives, and to provide good quality long term employment, I’m sure you’ll understand the important impact the charity could have on these children and young people, as well as increasing employment and diversity in the marine sector.”
We hope you will continue to support these crucial partnerships with us throughout 2023 and beyond.
For further information on the Edmiston Foundation, please contact us.