Long-term supporter Phil, and his granddaughter Keira (15) who has sailed on two TSYT voyages, successfully completed the Seagrave Wolds Challenge together; a 16 mile hike around the Leicestershire countryside, to raise vital funds for TSYT.

It was a lovely day, thankfully the sun was out and we had great views of the Leicestershire countryside which helped with morale.

We both had a spring in our step until about the 12-13 mile mark when Grandad started to drag behind a bit. Keira encouraged me on and then it was Grandad’s turn to provide support at 15 miles when Keira’s feet began to hurt. That last mile was a real challenge but we did it, and ended with the traditional Seagrave apple crumble and custard!

Really proud of Keira getting all the way around, it was her first walk of this length and we believe she was the youngest participant this year.

The duo raised a fantastic £1,224 for TSYT! Their support really will help to change young lives at sea.

James, (15) a young person who voyaged with TSYT, decided to take on an incredible challenge to give something back. Inspired by his life-changing experience at sea, he set his sights on trekking solo up Mount Snowdon, taking one of the mountain’s most demanding routes.

James wanted to raise funds to #payitforward so another young person could benefit from the same transformative voyage he was fortunate to experience.

I first sailed with Tall Ships Youth Trust as part of a group of scouts from Gloucestershire. I didn’t know any of the other scouts beforehand, but as a result of that trip, I am now dinghy sailing regularly at a local club where some of the other scouts also sail. When I was offered the chance to go on an enrichment sailing trip I jumped at it…

After my trip, I wanted to give something back, so decided to do a sponsored walk up Snowdon. I had walked Snowdon before when I was seven, using one of the easier routes, but this time I wanted to challenge myself by planning a trickier route and completing the walk solo.

The route followed the Watkin path and took me around 2.5 hours to get to the summit, including a break at the top for some food and to get some photos. The walk took 6 hours and covered 15Km and around 1000m elevation change in total.

James raised £740 in sponsorship, which will enable more young people to experience sailing and the joys within it, with the help of a TSYT bursary.

Reuben, one of our Fastnet 2025 Youth Crew, and his dad Simon, completed the Southampton Marathon in 5hrs 07mins and 5hrs 13mins. Reuben took on the challenge to raise funds for his Fastnet campaign and has already raised over £1,000! He continues to train hard for the Fastnet Race this July – stay tuned for more updates on Reuben and the rest of the crew.

I’m pursuing my goal of participating in the renowned Fastnet Race 2025 and taking part in the ABP Southampton Marathon was to challenge myself further, and help with my fundraising.

My way of giving back to a charity that has profoundly impacted my life and the lives of countless others. TSYT has not only given me opportunities to experience sailing but has also enabled me to earn RYA qualifications that I may never have achieved otherwise.

A massive well done to Reuben and Simon – what an incredible achievement. Thank you for your dedication and for flying the TSYT flag!

Astrid (18) Walked the Fisherfield Six to help #payitforward and give something back to TSYT after her voyages with us had such a positive impact on her life. The Fisherfields Six is a group of six mountains in the most remote part of Scotland, also known as the Great Wilderness, spanning 42km.

I managed to complete my challenge – it took about 20 hours in total, myself and a friend faced three of the mountains on day 1 which took us 9 hours, and we completed the remaining three mountains on day 2, taking just over 11 hours.

My trips with Tall Ships have been amazing experiences that I otherwise would not have had. I’ve been able to gain sailing qualifications through them too which means I will be able to progress with sailing beyond being volunteer crew. Helping them to raise money for their intended renovations to the boats is a great way to ensure they keep helping young people for future generations.

Astrid raised over £550 for TSYT, a fantastic achievement – huge well done!