Who Benefits and How?
Sail training is an outdoor fun and rewarding adventure activity, but it also requires participants to dig deep and work though demanding challenges, physical and emotional. It is an activity that inspires self-confidence and the acceptance of personal responsibility. It promotes an acceptance of others whatever their social or cultural backgrounds, and develops a willingness to take controlled risks. For those who participate it can be a positive life-changing experience.
Who We Are & What We Do
The RSP is a volunteer-based sail training organisation, working primarily with young people between the ages of 14 and 25. In addition to these Sail Training Voyages we run therapeutic voyages for vulnerable adults including those with learning disabilities, mental health issues and those in treatment or recovery from mental health issues and substance misuse. We also work with both adults and young people who are living with conditions such as cancer.
We do not exclusively target one kind of person over another, achieving a mix of people who sail with us is important, and equality of access is central to how we operate. Those who sail with us come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, mix of abilities, with varying degrees of sailing experience, and from across the UK, Ireland and Europe.
One of the unique aspects of our organisation, which is key to its longevity and success, is that it is volunteer-based. The RSP depends on more than 300 volunteers to run the voyages, and to maintain and refit the vessels. The strength of our organisation today is found in the diverse backgrounds and skills of the volunteers, ranging from health and maritime professionals and businessmen to students. Our Skippers are all trained to RYA Yachtmaster level. Most of our volunteer Afterguard initially joined the project as trainees, and 60% of our skippers joined this way - working their way up the ranks thanks to our distinctive focus on continously developing our volunteers' skills and leadership experience. Find out more about those onboard.
What Our Crews Say
All our trainees are invited to feedback their experiences and responses at the end of the voyage with an anonymous survey. The vast majority are very positive, with every trainee gaining something from the experience. Some go on to join us a Junior Watch Leaders and stay with the Rona Project for many years - turning the experience of a lifetime into a lifetime's experience.