The UK’s leading on-water Boat Show, the PSP Southampton Boat Show, is pleased to announce its official 2013 charity partners: local charity Teenage Cancer Trust, maritime charity The Rona Sailing Project, as well as national charity Macmillan Cancer Support. The event will run from September 13 to 22, 2013.
The Rona Sailing Trust
The PSP Southampton Boat Show is proud to raise funds in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust’s Southampton unit appeal. Money raised will go towards the construction of the first specialist Teenage Cancer Trust unit for young patients in the South of England and Channel Islands at Southampton General Hospital. The unit will support young cancer patients aged 16 to 24 which means for the first time young people will be treated with others their own age in an environment suited to their needs. Regional fundraiser, Beth Bartlam, comments: “We’re thrilled to be a chosen charity for the PSP Southampton Boat Show 2013. Teenage Cancer Trust relies on donations to fund all of its vital work with young people with cancer, so we are just so grateful.”
Now in its 45th year, the Show will be celebrating its heritage through its association with The Rona Sailing Project as this year’s designated maritime charity partner. The Project’s crews come from a wide variety of social backgrounds, comprising the well-adjusted to those in the care of social and probation services and everybody in between. It also provides offshore sailing in the UK for people who are deaf, visually impaired, both blind and deaf or have severe learning difficulties. Barry Easton-Corke, Project Director, states: “We are very proud and grateful to be selected as the maritime charity of the 2013 PSP Southampton Boat Show. The Rona Sailing Project strives to ensure that no young person is excluded from taking part in a sail training voyage on the grounds of cost – we only charge our trainees one third of the actual operating costs. A major factor is that our three large yachts are manned entirely by volunteers, but we are also very dependent on donations.”
The PSP Southampton Boat Show prides itself on being an excursion for visitors of all ages to enjoy and is proud to announce Macmillan Cancer Support as the national charity for the 2013 Show. Macmillan’s aim is to reach and improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer, and ensure that no one faces cancer alone. Alice Dewsnap, Fundraising Manager for South West Hampshire, said: “We are so grateful to the PSP Southampton Boat Show 2013 for choosing Macmillan Cancer Support. We currently reach one in two people who have been diagnosed, and with the support from the Show, we can really raise the awareness of the services we provide across the country. We’re really looking forward to meeting the visitors throughout the week, and spreading the name Macmillan so more people will know who to turn to when they have been affected by cancer.”
Murray Ellis, Managing Director of National Boat Shows, explains why these charities have been chosen as official partner for this year’s event: “National Boat Shows is thrilled to be supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust through the PSP Southampton Boat Show 2013, so that together we can make a real difference right here in Southampton. Furthermore, The Rona Sailing Project is an inspirational charity, building the confidence of young people from all backgrounds through sailing. We are happy to be contributing to the work of one of the oldest Sail Training organisations in the UK. Whilst everyone is familiar with the Macmillan Cancer Trust we feel privileged that we can help them with the amazing work they do to support people and their families living with cancer.”
