If you want to be part of something special and would like to lend your skills to the Voyage of Recovery, we are looking for London based volunteers with marketing and/or PR experience and skills to help make this project happen.

Please call 0207 234 9787 or email James Armstrong

Voyage of Recovery

The winner of this year's Innovation Factor (our staff competition for innovative ideas) was the Voyage of Recovery. The winning presentation came from Stuart Plant from Hampshire Residential Service and graduate Darren Long.

How can you get involved?

We really need your help to make this happen.

The total cost of this exciting project is £70,000. This cost includes food and the professional crew's salaries for the three month period of the voyage.

How can you be part of this very special project?

There are lots of ways you can get involved, here are just a few ideas:

You can purchase a place on the first leg of the journey from Plymouth to Portsmouth and experience sailing the 80ft Tectona for yourself - price on enquiry

You could sponsor a service user to take part - £438

Donate directly to this project on our justgiving page - all donations no matter how much are very much appreciated

Donate equipment, food, waterproof clothing

Arrange a fundraising event in your community to support this special project

Be the official headline sponsor of the The Voyage for Recovery and add your name to this innovative project

The Voyage..

The voyage will involve sailing Tectona 1800 hundred miles around the coastal waters of Britain. Starting from Portsmouth, sailing around Cornwall up past Lands End and towards the coast of Wales past Liverpool then on up to the west coast of Scotland, through the Caledonian Canal and coming back down along the east coast of England finally arriving back at Portsmouth some 10 to 12 weeks later. For the teams there will be 12 staying on board for 5 day legs, each team would be made up of 10 service users and 2 staff from as many of our services as possible, incorporating our residential and community projects. Anyone who is interested can apply for a place on board. In order to make places fair, all applications will be put into regions and then drawn from a hat, the lucky ones getting a place on the voyage. The voyage will take between 10 to 12 weeks and be split in to 5 day legs so it will give at least 160 service users the amazing opportunity to be part of a working voyage around the coastal waters of Britain.

What's Involved?

Sailing the Tectona is hard, physical work involving team-work and a commitment to learning new skills. The service users would be involved in every aspect of running the ship, day and night, from planning and navigation to hoisting, trimming and reefing the sails, from keeping lookout and steering to hauling up the anchor. They will take part in preparing and clearing up meals and keeping the ship clean. The professional crew ensure safety, teach techniques and encourage service users to reflect on their experiences on a daily basis.

Not only will our service users benefit from this voyage but so will our staff members or volunteer/peer mentors that are on board.

To find out more about this innovative project call 0207 234 9787

To find out more about Tectona, visit their webpage www.tectona.org.uk

Click here to see coverage of the Voyage of Recovery on the BBC