TOBY
own one of the many back lanes in Brixham, where the maritime history of the port seeps out of the old buildings, in an old sail loft - appropriately enough - is where you will find the Trinity Sailing Foundation. Up a steep staircase to the loft itself and into the thoroughly modern and bright office is a small team of dedicated people who work to preserve vessels from a bygone age. But Trinity is so much more than
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that. Although their work is based on these magnificent vessels, it is also about the work they do in the ‘now’ with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who may be in care or at risk of offending, who might be in rehabilitation from substance misuse or who have learning difficulties. Toby Russell is the Director of the charity and from the outset you can sense his enthusiasm and dedication for all his charges. “One of the core objectives of
Trinity is to support the personal development of young people, particularly those who are more disadvantaged or those having a tough time in their lives. The mechanism we use is sail training. The
RUSSELL DIRECTOR OF THE CHARITY
sea is a challenging environment, one that encourages young people to get the best out of themselves. They travel to new destinations each day through their own efforts. Learning to manage a traditional sailing vessel in all conditions at sea tests the innate abilities of each individual to the limit. Few young people ever have the opportunity of finding out just what they are capable of in such a way. “We’re also dedicated to preserving the historic vessels in our fleet. So what we have effectively done is to marry these two aspects together,
as we believe these vessels are perfectly suited to their modern day role. Our vessels are not museum pieces; they are working craft, former industrial vessels that need to be out there plying the sea. Salt water helps preserve the wooden decks of these vessels, for example, so from a practical point of view, using them ensures their survival.” The three main vessels in the Trinity
fleet, hence the Foundation’s name, are ‘Leader’, ‘Provident’ and ‘Golden Vanity’; traditional, gaff-rigged vessels built between 1892 and 1924. They are all part of the National Historic Fleet – the 200 vessels considered to be prime examples of our maritime heritage. The three came together in 1999, when the Foundation was born and now work in partnership with other organisations concerned with the welfare of young people.
But all this work costs a lot of
Interview by Max Brandt
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