Goodwood 2025

The Ned's Fund Goodwood Lecture 2025 presents an Evening with Libby Purves OBE 

We are delighted to announce that Libby Purves OBE will be speaking at Goodwood House for our annual An Evening with event on 6th November, made possible by the generosity of the Duke of Richmond. This year, all proceeds from the talk will be donated to Ocean Youth Trust South (OYT South).

A long-standing commentator in The Times and the first female presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Libby received her OBE for services to journalism in 1999, also being recognised as Columnist of the Year. She has edited Tatler, contributes to The Oldie, and presented BBC programmes including Midweek, The Learning Curve, and various documentaries. Libby is also the author of twelve novels, books about sailing – including One Summer's Grace about sailing round Britain with two small children – and a trilogy of family advice books beginning with How not to be a Perfect Mother.

Libby is especially sympathetic to the causes of both Ned's Fund and Ocean Youth Trust South. She writes a monthly column for Yachting Monthly, and was for ten years a trustee of the National Maritime Museum. Libby also lost her first-born child, Nicholas, to suicide in 2006. He was 23, had found the joy of sailing, including a trip with OYT South, and crossed the Atlantic and Pacific under square-rig on Barque Europa.

Ocean Youth Trust South is an award-winning charity which provides personal development opportunities for young people aged 11-25, with the majority disadvantaged or vulnerable. The charity takes young people to sea in their beautiful 105-foot sailing vessel, Prolific, to develop confidence, teamworking, communication, resilience, the ability to cope with new situations and deal with setbacks, and much more. Young people sail as active crew members and can earn sailing qualifications - but it can also be an opportunity to make friends with others facing similar problems at home or at school.

Ocean Youth Trust South works in partnership with mainstream and special schools, local authorities, youth groups and other charities, offering voyages for a very wide range of groups such as young carers; looked-after children; young people struggling in education or excluded from school; victims of crime, bullying, abuse, domestic violence or neglect; young people who may be unemployed or homeless; individuals with physical or learning difficulties, emotional or behavioural problems or issues with their mental health; young people living in families affected by alcohol or substance abuse; and more.

More details about this exciting event will follow shortly.