The Andrew Simpson Foundation exists as a charity to honour the legacy of Andrew “Bart” Simpson by working to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people through sailing and watersports.

The Andrew Simpson Centres are delivery mechanisms for the organisation’s Community Sailing Programmes, one of the Foundation’s key charitable activities. They also operate as regular watersports centres on a not-for-profit basis, with all surplus income invested back into the foundation.

There are several Community Sailing Programmes – one of which is ‘Discover Sailing’; this is where the partnership with the RNLI comes in. Discover Sailing is a mass participation programme whereby hundreds of young people visit each centre to experience sailing for the first time. Local school children are offered a ‘taster’ sailing session for £5 and are then given the opportunity to continue sailing through the watersports centres.

In 2018, a water safety element was added to the taster sailing sessions delivered in Portsmouth; this is now being rolled out to the centres in Reading and Portland. The water safety element of the sessions focusses on the RNLI’s youth safety messaging which is based on extensive research into the four key steps that young people can take to keep themselves safe when in around water. As well as receiving relevant instruction from the tutors, all young people will also take home a 14-page RNLI booklet which reinforces the learning and allows the youngsters to share the safety messaging with their friends and family.

The RNLI’s youth safety messaging focusses on four key points:

• STOP AND THINK – what dangers can you see?
• Don’t be caught out on your own – STAY TOGETHER
• If you fall in, stay calm and FLOAT TO LIVE
• If someone’s in trouble, CALL 999 or 112 and tell them that someone’s in trouble in the water

Andrew Laws, RNLI Youth Education Manager for the South East, said,

“The RNLI is delighted to be partnering with the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation. Working with another charity to spread water safety messages is a great way to help keep young safe in and near the water. The teaching and resources provided to the young people taking part in the ‘Discover Sailing’ programme could one day save a life.”