Luke Pollard MP Labour & Co-op Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport

There are some great charities in the city who do amazing work supporting people, on a range of issues, and who deserve a bit more recognition for the work that they do.
My Charity of the Month is an ongoing effort to highlight, promote and celebrate the brilliant work that is carried out by so many local charities in Plymouth.
This month I am featuring Horizons Plymouth to showcase their fantastic work and encourage people to give what they can. This amazing charity, from their base in Devonport, provide opportunities for young people to take part in sailing and powerboating which improves general wellbeing for them.
Not only do these young people get to experience sailing, but they support participants to gain confidence, improve their problem-solving skills and teamwork. This can have a huge and lasting impact on the young people’s transferable skills.
The testimonials from the young people speak for themselves:
“I never thought I would get the chance to sail… at first I was scared, and I came out confident and happy to do it again… I loved sitting on the side of the boat and getting splashed”
“Before I came to Horizons I was like really angry, and now I’ve just sort of like settled down a bit.”
“I loved putting my hand in the water as we went fast so it splashed me… I got to see the Hoe from the other side, I’d never been out there in the water before.”
With many children in Plymouth – Britain’s Ocean City – not having access to the sea, this charity offers a vital opportunity to connect our community to the ocean and remove those socio-economic access barriers.
For more information on Horizons Plymouth, how to donate to them, and to view my previous charity of the months, please click here.