Bruce Pilbrow, CEO of the Spirit of Adventure Trust, gave a lively talk about the work of the Trust. We will all have seen the tall ships owned by the trust on the Waitemata Harbour and in the Hauraki Gulf. Bruce outlined the history of the Trust, with pictures of the original Spirit of Adventure sailing ship and its current replacement, the black Spirit of New Zealand.

The aim of the Trust is ‘to empower you New Zealanders to reach their full potential’. A diverse range of 40 16-18 years olds embark for a 10-day trip on the sailing ship. Each crew of young people is drawn from all over the country, all from different schools and from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. They are nominated by schools, Trusts, Rotary clubs and other groups, many of whom provide scholarships for the $3500 fees for each participant. The young poeple learn to sail the ship, to come together as a team, to trust themselves and others, and in the process build confidence, relationship skills, bond and grow through the experience.

It was impressive to see a picture the Spirit of New Zealand with all the whole crew of 40 young people up in the riggings, hanging out high above the ship and the water.

As well the Trust brings three areas of focus to their work. Daily the crew impart environmental values, through such actions as stopping to pick up any floating rubbish and cleaning all the beaches they stop at. The next focus is on diversity, reflected in the wide range of young people that participate, as well as in ;the permanent crew and volunteers who support this work. Mental health is the third focus. The ship and the sea are stressful environments, so special attention is paid to see that participants are coping well and are being well supported in this lifetime adventure.

Thank you Bruce, for the wonderful talk and the inspiring work of the Spirit of Adventure Trust.