UKSA is a charity that uses sailing and watersports as a catalyst to transform young people’s lives. They deliver programmes focussed on improving key life skills for young people, including confidence, coping, communication and teamwork. They also work with employers to train young people to the standard needed across the industry – from teaching water sports in the Mediterranean to skippering some of the most famous superyachts in the world. Each year up to 10,000 students train at UKSA, a third of whom come to UKSA thanks to financial support from donors and partners.
However, UKSA’s impact and reach has a ceiling because of how its site is set up. Strict safeguarding regulations means groups of young people need self-contained accommodation. By remodelling their site into flexible, modular accommodation they can ensure that they are able to host more people. This will give them the ability to train more professional clients, youth groups and young apprentices at the same time.
Their capital programme will take place over the next 3-4 years. This plan will rationalise and remodel their whole site, while providing more sports facilities and opportunities for local people. Leaders have stepped up to deliver a fundraising campaign that will make a reality of these plans. The first milestone in the delivery of the programme is to begin the construction of a new accommodation and training facility in Winter 2018.