Tall Ships partnership marked with charity's grant to 22 Sail Trainees

Hartlepool-based charity the PFC Trust's board of trustees has also approved grants to 22 of the Sail Trainees taking part in one of two special voyages across the North Sea this summer.

The £7,000 worth of grants will be in addition to the community grants worth £5,000 the PFC Trust has pledged to the event, while it will also manage the community zone throughout the Tall Ships Hartlepool leg from July 6-9.

Frances Connolly, the founder of the PFC Trust, said: “The PFC Trust is dedicated to supporting the people of Hartlepool and the surrounding areas. As such we are fully behind the unique opportunity the Tall Ships presents to create life changing experiences.

Tall Ships 2023 at the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool. Picture: Tall Ships (Image: Tall Ships)

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“We are so proud to be supporting this historic event and as headline charitable partner of Tall Ships’ visit to Hartlepool we are looking forward to working closely with the Tall Ships organising committee to make sure the whole of Hartlepool benefits from the opportunities this provides.”

The PFC Trust was set up in 2019 with the aim to improve the lives and life chances of the people in Hartlepool and the surrounding area.

It is proud to have provided the funds to make it possible for 22 Sail Trainees who applied for financial help from the PFC Trust to join a larger group of up to 100 who will gain a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel on a Tall Ship.

Three more applied to the Trust but had already secured full funding to sail.

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The Sail Trainees aged between 15-24 will either travel from Den Helder, Holland, to Hartlepool or from Hartlepool to Fredrikstad, Norway.

Shaun Hope, the PFC Trust chairman, said: “It was great to see such popularity in our recent grants window and we are thrilled to support all of those applications who had not managed to receive the full funding required.

“This would not have been possible without the kind generosity of our loyal friends, Steel Benders UK, and their managing director Tania Cooper.

“Steel Benders UK have long been a supporter of the PFC Trust and have cemented their next round of support by funding £2,000 of sale trainees grants in addition to the £5,000 pledged by the PFC Trust originally.”

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Following on from confirmation of the funding for Sail Trainees, the PFC Trust will shortly announce its second window of Tall Ships-themed funding with the next focus being on community projects that will be involved in the showpiece.

Gemma Ptak, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Assistant Director of Preventative and Community-based Services, said: “We have partnered with the PFC Trust, who work hard for the benefit of Hartlepool communities.

“As Hartlepool Tall Ships Races 2023’s charitable event partner, together we will maximise the impact Tall Ships coming to Hartlepool can have on our communities and our young people.

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“The Tall Ships Races aspire to provide life-changing experiences. They create the opportunity for international friendship and the Sail Trainee programme enables young people in our communities to have the chance of a lifetime.

“However, it isn’t possible without the opportunity of sponsorship or fundraising.

“The commitment and grant opportunities the PFC Trust has pledged to support Sail Trainees and community organisations to create a legacy in the town is amazing, many young people would not have had access to this opportunity without this support.”