Press release 14th December 2022
Sail Trade South West project gets the green light, thanks to Heritage Fund grant
Lynher River Barge CIC has been awarded nearly £250,000 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore the 1930 Port Mellon lugger “IBIS FY519” and create the Sail Trade South West project.
Today, Lynher CIC has received a grant of almost £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for an exciting heritage project, Sail Trade South West, in Cremyll, South East Cornwall. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on educating coastal communities on the benefits of creating a net zero carbon circular food economy by restoring the Port Mellon lugger “Ibis FY519”. The project will start in the new year and end in August 2024.
Sail Trade South West will enable young refugees, asylum seekers and coastal communities of the South West to connect with maritime heritage and learn new skills, such as boatbuilding, seamanship, digital skills, cooking and dancing.
Devon and Cornwall have relied on their fishing industry for centuries and the story of Ibis FY519 tells of a time when there were no planes or cargo ships to transport produce. School children from the Plymouth area will learn how food used to be sourced and transported under sail. Young people with disabilities will have the opportunity to learn the tale of Ibis FY519 and interpret it into a dance workshop and performance. Finally, the project will create volunteering opportunities for young refugees to learn boatbuilding and seamanship skills and provide a safe space for asylum seekers to be together to cook and share their kitchen culture using fair trade produce transported under sail.
Lynher CIC was formed in 2016 in order to save the Tamar sailing barge “Lynher’ and deliver water based education to the communities of the Plymouth waterways and the wider public. In the past 5 years hundreds of people of all ages and from all walks of life have stepped aboard and learn new skills through the heritage that Lynher represents. Primarily many people who would see the water as a barrier, have experienced a change in their actions as a result of sailing Lynher.Commenting on the award, Barbara Bridgman, director at Lynher CIC said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will support young people, refugees and coastal communities to learn new skills from our local maritime heritage.”
Stuart McLeod, Director England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support this project which will mean that more people will be able to learn and engage in maritime heritage right on their doorstep. Heritage has a huge role to play in instilling pride in communities and this project is a fantastic example of achieving those aims.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Total grant awarded: £247,625
About Lynher CIC
Lynher CIC is a not for profit organisation whose aim is to educate communities in the South West through the reuse of the local maritime heritage in order to create a more sustainable future for people, communities and the environment. https://tamarbarge.org.uk
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK. More than £30 million raised each week goes to good causes across the UK.
Further information
For further information, images and interviews please contact Barbara Bridgman at Lynher CIC on 01752 822797 or email barbara@tamarbarge.org.uk.