We are delighted to award a £10,000 grant to The Gwennili Trust towards its yachting adventure trips for serving and former soldiers with physical and mental disabilities.
Our charity regularly supports charities that promote soldiers’ mental health and wellbeing through sports and outdoor activities. Since 1995, The Gwennili Trust has provided yacht sailing opportunities for military personnel with physical and mental disabilities, including those on recovery programmes from the Personnel Recovery Centres (PRCs) at Tidworth and Catterick.
Yachting provides participants with physical exercise, individual and team skills, better self-confidence and a sense of purpose. Our grant will partly fund the charity’s summer 2024 sailing programme – expected to involve around 100 Army beneficiaries – that includes Solent cruises, Round the Island race, Blind Sailing Week, and the Tattinger Regatta.
Colonel (Ret’d) John Thornton, Chairman of Trustees, The Gwennili Trust, said:
“The Gwennili Trust is very grateful for the Army Benevolent Fund’s support. Our participants become better able to counter the isolation and social anxiety that typically holds back recovery into service or further affects individuals when they’ve been medically discharged.”
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer, Army Benevolent Fund, added:
“Our charity is committed to supporting the mental and physical recovery of injured and disabled soldiers and veterans. We fund several charities engaged in outdoor adventure challenges and activities. We are pleased to support The Gwennili Trust’s sailing programme again this year.”
Read more about The Gwennili Trust’s work here.