The Geoff Herrington Foundation, established in 2015 to honour the memory of Geoff Herrington, has made a remarkable impact over the years. Geoff, who died in May 2005, overcame disadvantage in his childhood to achieve great success in his life.

The Foundation has distributed an impressive £2.1 million in grants, supporting young people across the globe. The very first grant was awarded to Tall Ships Youth Trust in 2015, who have received a total of £65,000 in funding since then. This has enabled more than 300 young people to embark on life-changing voyages at sea.

In 1967 at the age of 19, Geoff Herrington sailed with the Tall Ships Youth Trust (then the Sail Training Association) on board the Sir Winston Churchill. His wife, Dr Sara Arber, described how this experience impacted him:

“He always talked of this sailing trip as very life-changing for him,” Sara recalled. “It was clearly a very transformative experience.”

Geoff left school at 16 with only one GCE O Level, a struggle that Sara believes may have stemmed from undiagnosed dyslexia. Yet, inspired by his voyage experience, he went on to complete a Motor Mechanics apprenticeship and established successful software and engineering companies. In 2015, proceeds from the sale of one of Geoff’s businesses were used to fund the Foundation in his memory.

The Foundation sought to honour Geoff’s belief that all young people deserve opportunities to realise their potential and be able to fully participate in society. Sara’s vision was deeply influenced by her husband’s story, as well as his passion for empowering those who faced barriers within mainstream education.

“Geoff was passionate that all young people should have the opportunities to develop their own full potential, especially those disadvantaged by not being ‘successful’ in the formal educational system or who faced other social or economic disadvantages,” Sara said.

The grants helped Tall Ships Youth Trust support young people facing a range of social and economic challenges, including living in a low-income household, being a young carer, or navigating additional learning needs.

One of the young people supported, Angelina, shared how her voyage helped to calm her nerves about new environments and boosted her confidence:

“I was very nervous in the beginning”, Angelina said. “However, that all soon went away. It was great meeting new people and learning to live together on board. The crew took their time and ensured we all had the opportunity to have a go at any particular tasks, which really helped my understanding and confidence.”

While the Foundation has now fully expended its funds, Geoff’s legacy will continue to inspire young people as they grow into adulthood.

In 2023, Tall Ships Youth Trust launched the three-voyage journey, a programme designed to help young people progressively develop their skills through increasingly challenging voyages. With generous support from the Geoff Herrington Foundation, they’ve helped more young people across the UK start their TSYT journey and gain the confidence and resilience needed to grow into young leaders and independent adults.

Tall Ships Youth Trust is incredibly thankful to be able to share Geoff’s story and be one of the 57 organisations the foundation has supported since 2015.​