At yesterday’s opening day of the London Boat Show at ExCel the Ellen MacArthur Trust was awarded cheques totalling over £40,000. First in the cheque handing over ceremony on the IPC Media stage was the British Marine Federation and National Boat Show’s presentation of £12,265 which had been raised at a Gala Dinner in Association with Southampton Football Club in September.

The Derbyshire Building Society’s contribution totalled £6,367.51which had been raised through special savings accounts. The Derbyshire were inspired to launch a special savings account called the Ellen MacArthur Trust and Rainbows Children’s Hospice Account which donates £1 for every £100 saved continuously over a year. The donation is split equally between the two and the sums can be impressive with one such affinity account raising £250,000 in one year.

The annually run Little Britain Challenge Cup construction industry regatta presented a cheque for £19,700 and the Royal Southampton Yacht Club through its members’ ‘500 Club’ continued to support the trust with each member donating £5 a month.

Launched by Ellen MacArthur in 2003, the Trust takes young people aged between 8-18 sailing to help them regain their confidence, on their way to recovery from cancer, leukemia and other serious illness.
MacArthur commented:”They battle against something harder than many of us could ever imagine and they do it with the biggest smiles on their faces. To me they are truly inspirational and if the EMT can help them in their battle against serious illness in any way then that is a fantastic achievement.”

The Ellen MacArthur Trust makes sailing accessible to children who, because of their illness would not otherwise been given the opportunity. It costs £1,000 to take one child recovering from cancer or leukemia sailing for four days.

The Ellen MacArthur Trust is the official charity for Skandia Cowes Week for 2006-8 and will have children who have racing in both the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race and Skandia Cowes Week for the first time during 2006.