The Marina at Sutton Harbour sponsors tall ship project

A tall ship used to take young people on inspiring sail training voyages is being sponsored by Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour Marina with free berthing being provided for the vessel in the heart of the city.

Mórvargh Sailing Project maintains a popular 57ft tall ship called the Helen Mary R with the ship used for regular sail training trips for young people aged between 14 and 25, who learn about leadership, resourcefulness and teamwork in the process.

The social enterprise has helped to inspire more than 5,000 young people to date but urgent repairs meant all operations had to be suspended in 2013 and some voyages cancelled.

Mórvargh team needs to raise £12,000 to replace the rigging and renew safety equipment before the ship can set sail again – and Sutton Harbour Marina has pledged to support the project, and to help with fundraising activities, in addition to providing the Helen Mary R with free berthing at the marina in the historic heart of Britain’s Ocean City.

Matthew Barraud, director of Mórvargh Sailing Project, said: “It’s been tough to keep the dream alive and we’ve had to make some personal sacrifices to keep our tall ship.

“We desperately need the support of local businesses to help us fund the repairs needed to get the Helen Mary R back to sea, and we are hugely grateful for the sponsorship and support from Sutton Harbour Marina, which is generously providing us with free berthing at the marina in Plymouth.

“So far, we have managed to raise £7,000, and we’d love to hear from any other local organisations or businesses able to help us to reach our total.”

Mark Brimacombe, Manager of Sutton Harbour Marina, said: “Mórvargh Sailing Project is a tremendous social enterprise enabling young people to embark on truly inspiring, and often life-changing, sailing trips aboard a beautiful tall ship.

“We are keen to help the team behind this project to get the ship repaired and back out to sea as quickly as possible, and will be supporting them with their fundraising efforts in addition to providing free berthing at Sutton Harbour Marina while they aim to generate the £12,000 they need for urgent repairs.”

The husband and wife team behind Mórvargh Sailing Project are hoping to raise the money they need for repairs in time to see the Helen Mary R afloat by the end of the 2015 season, and are keen to hear from anyone able to help with refitting or to help raise money for repair costs.

Contact the project director Matthew Barraud on 07877 196 326 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help.

For more information about Sutton Harbour Marina, visit www.suttonharbourmarina.com