The Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) is delighted to announce that on Monday the 21st of July the Peter Harrison Foundation made a major contribution to the future of the Trust when Peter Harrison himself presented a cheque to Vice Patron Peter Snow and President Jacquetta Cator aboard SV Tenacious in Canary Wharf.
The donation, which will dramatically improve the finances of the Trust, will enable it to concentrate on its important work as the only sailing organisation in the world with the capacity to take up to forty able bodied and physically disabled individuals on an adventure sailing experience as a part of a working crew.
The main purpose of the grant is to help the JST be in a position to substantially reduce the loan balance of £2.3 million still outstanding on the build costs of their second ship, Tenacious.
It is hoped that this grant will encourage other potential donors to provide further assistance, so that the whole loan may be cleared in the near future.
The Jubilee Sailing Trust which was set up in 1977 following a grant from the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Appeal Fund owns and operates two magnificent tall ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious, which are the only tall ships in the world that were specifically designed to enable both able bodied and disabled crew to sail together as equals.
In attendance for the presentation there was not only be Peter Harrison, chairman of the Peter Harrison Foundation, but also conservative MP Bernard Jenkin (Con) who is a friend of the Trust. These individuals were joined by members of Trinity House as well as one of our celebrity Patron’s, Peter Snow and a host of JST supporters.
Tom Stewart JST Chairman is delighted with the support from the Peter Harrison foundation, standing aboard Tenacious he said, "this donation provides a sea change in the fortunes of the JST and serves as a key milestone in our history, equivalent in impact to the launching of our first ship Lord Nelson and the building of Tenacious.”
Peter Harrison was also keen to point out his reasons for pledging this donation, “I want to see the JST free from the debt millstone which through no fault of their own has been round their neck for far too long. He added, “I hope that, on the back of my pledge, others will feel able to come forward and provide similar support so the Trust will be free of debt and able to concentrate on what it does best.”
At the event in Canary Wharf Peter Harrison handed over a symbolic cheque for the first instalment, £250,000 of the £1,500,000 donation.
The presentation took place at 1pm aboard Tenacious which was berthed at Thames Quay, West India Dock.