2 September 2025
Every day, people around the UK and Ireland are carrying out good deeds, so I decided to celebrate the great work that charities, community groups/projects and not-for-profit companies do with a regular feature on Tuesdays, to tie-in with #CharityTuesday on social media.
This week, I caught up with Poole not-for-profit company Andrew Simpson Foundation to find out more…
How do you support people?
We create life-changing journeys on the water: shaping young lives, strengthening communities and transforming futures.
We believe that every young person should have access to the life-changing benefits of being on the water. From building self-belief to unlocking potential, we use sailing and watersports as a powerful tool for education, wellbeing, and community connection.
Absolutely everything we do is driven by our belief that all young people can excel and succeed in life and work. Sailing and watersports provide a powerful mechanism to change the lives of young people and the benefits of time on the water should be accessible to everyone. We’re committed to removing barriers and developing and delivering programmes so that all young people and communities can benefit from the opportunities that we offer.
What geographical areas do you support people in?
Portland, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Birmingham, Reading, and more!
How did you come to be founded?
The Andrew Simpson Foundation was founded to honour the legacy of Olympic champion sailor, Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson MBE. Bart was a devoted husband and father, and a fiercely competitive sportsman who still had time to inspire everyone around him.
How many people do you have working at the Andrew Simpson Foundation?
Our central team consists of 15 staff, and 12 trustees. We have dedicated full time centre teams at our 7 not-for-profit watersports centres, as well as lots of seasonal instructors for the summer.
How can people support you?
Monthly donations help us to plan for the future and have a bigger impact on more young people, creating a future where every young person, regardless of background, has the chance to thrive on the water. The Andrew Simpson Foundation receives no government funding to support its services to young people, so larger donations have a huge impact on what we are able to provide for those who need it most. Bigger gifts can help support existing programmes and even enable us to connect with new communities and groups who would benefit from our support.
For every £1 you give… 85p goes directly to our charitable programmes that transform young people’s lives.
15p is spent on support costs and fundraising so that we can access more communities and provide more opportunities to uplift young people’s lives. Your support makes a real and measurable difference.
Taking part in courses and activities at our centres also helps us transform lives through sailing.
Do you have any events coming up and where can people find out about these events?
Bart’s Bash, the global sailing race is our flagship funder taking place worldwide on 13th and 14th September 2025.
We host Open Days at all of our centres on weekends running through May.
Is there any advice you could give to other groups or organisations?
At the Andrew Simpson Foundation we believe partnership working significantly expands and diversifies opportunities in and around the water for young people. We work with partners in our communities who are aligned to our vision to help us expand access, reach new communities, and deepen our impact.
Address details, opening times and drop-in times
There are 4 Andrew Simpson Foundation centres: Birmingham (West Midlands), Reading (Berkshire), Portland (Dorset) and Portsmouth (Hampshire). You can find out more about them here.
Andrew Simpson Foundation have partnered with Plymouth based charity Horizons who run sailing clubs, school projects, group activities, a winter youth project and Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses.
There is also Andrew Simpson Yachting where they deliver yachting training; the Performance Academy where young sailors who show promise are given support, and outreach programme Sail Training Trust, which aims to enrich young peoples’ development while supporting them on their career journey.
You can find out more about Andrew Simpson Foundation on their website or via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube.
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