Amazingly, despite living on the island, large swathes of young people are not exposed to the maritime and water-based opportunities that come from living on an Island.
Our four year sponsorship of the UKSA Test the Water Programme, enables EVERY Year 6 child across the Island to gain water-confidence and within this gain life skills such as communication and resilience and develop confidence, in addition to better understanding the importance of our marine habitat and its wildlife.
Through our support each Year 6 child has the opportunity to experience a half-day of being on the water, free from the barrier of cost. Sailing is often viewed as an elitist sport and UKSA want to change this view locally, providing all young people with the opportunity to experience sailing and water sports, regardless of their background.
“At WightFibre we care about our Island community. Through our sponsorship of the Test the Water programme, we are happy to help UKSA deliver new and positive life experiences for many young Islanders who otherwise – despite living on an Island – would never get the opportunity to get in or on the water. UKSA does amazing things, and at WightFibre, we are happy to do our little bit to help and ensure this fantastic initiative will continue for many generations to come.” - John Irvine, CEO of WightFibre
WightFibre’s sponsorship also includes the branding of a fleet of electric vans for the Test the Water Programme. These vans, freshly adorned with vibrant livery and decals, revolutionising how UKSA reaches out to the community.
“The Test the Water programme was developed to make a real, tangible difference to young people in UKSA’s community, and we are really achieving that. This donation from WightFibre means children right here on the island can directly benefit from the funds… It’s important we do not lose sight of the fact that 32 percent of children on the Island live in poverty, without the opportunity to reach their full potential, and need to ensure opportunities like this continue to exist and grow.” - Amy Sweeting, Director of Development and Fundraising at UKSA.
