AFTER 16 years, the Penarth-based charity, Challenge Wales will close its doors at the end of September.
The charity’s aims were to give young people the experience of sailing in a tall ship and it claims that in its 16 years, almost 5,000 have taken the opportunity. Trustees for the charity, faced with the cost of maintaining the ship and keeping it operational, have taken the decision to wind up the charity.
The charity’s Challenge Wales Tall Ship will transfer to the Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT), in a move aimed at safeguarding its sail training legacy. Tall Ships Youth Trust, a well-established youth development and outdoor learning charity, already operates four Challenge 72 vessels supporting over 1,200 young people annually.
Vicky Williams, co-founder of Challenge Wales said: “I couldn’t have imagined the immense impact Challenge Wales would have – not only for young people but for our amazing volunteers too.
“Through sail training, we’ve helped broaden horizons and improve employability, helping young people reach their potential and have a brighter future. Though it is emotional to say farewell, we are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Over the next few years, TSYT aims to significantly increase the number of young people it supports. Adding Challenge Wales to its fleet will help as demand for its services continues to outstrip its sea-going capacity.
Alastair Floyd of TSYT said: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Challenge Wales to build on their extraordinary legacy. From October 2025, the Challenge Wales vessel will join our fleet and we are excited to provide youth development on the ocean.”
Helen Phillips, chair of the Board of Trustees at Challenge Wales added: “We’re extremely proud of the impact Challenge Wales has had but recent years have been extremely challenging. Our work is unique in Wales, and the trustees felt it was vital to find the best way to continue supporting young people in realising their potential.”
The last youth voyage of Challenge Wales is today (18 September). For adults, the final voyage departs tomorrow (19th September), around Land’s End before concluding on the South Coast, home of Tall Ships Youth Trust.
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