UKSA, the leading maritime training and education charity is delighted to reopen its doors and welcome beneficiaries back to its campus in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Ben Willows, CEO of UKSA, comments: “What a privilege it is for us to be back open, welcoming students and young people back onto site, reengaging with their education and training and getting them back out on the water. It’s as though a big dark cloud has been lifted and it’s fantastic to see smiling and hear laughter once again.
“At UKSA, we inspire young people to broaden their horizons through our life enhancing water-based adventures, education and training. We know that many children and young people are missing out on life-changing opportunities because schools, local authorities and parents simply can’t afford to pay for them. The fragility of these young peoples’ mental health is exacerbated by a reliance on isolating social media ‘screen time’, which has been made worse due to the pandemic. Our outdoor learning programmes on the water are the antithesis to this.
“Even before the pandemic gripped the world, we believed all young people have a need; to be inspired, to have their horizons broadened or simply have their barriers to opportunity removed. Our Sea.Change Fund removes the financial and social barriers to enable a young person, from any background, to achieve the best version of themselves and gain life changing experiences, qualifications and employment. Each year we work with around 10,000 individuals from across the UK and up to 37 percent receive funding support to enable them to participate in programmes with us.
“The safety, well-being and enjoyment of those visiting UKSA are our number one priority. We are ready to play our part in the wellbeing recovery and welcome back residential groups, in the not-too-distant future.”
