Ocean Youth Trust South (OYT South) is an award-winning charity which uses Adventure Under Sail as a personal development opportunity for young people aged 11-25, the majority disadvantaged or vulnerable in some way.

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. There are also places for individuals as well as those from organised groups, and for people who may not be enduring major problems but are nevertheless at risk of not fulfilling their potential. In school holidays there are some voyages for mainstream young people who can afford to pay for their own places - for Duke of Edinburgh's award residentials, or a challenging outdoor adventure for people whose lives may otherwise be largely spent indoors staring at a screen.

In September 2020, Ned's Fund supported a voyage for the Vyne School in Basingstoke which has a long track record of using Ocean Youth Trust South voyages to help turn things around for students who are at risk of under-achieving. The Vyne has sent 67 students on voyages over the last eight years and has been able to watch the impact over the long term. 

One of their teaching staff said: 

“These experiences have given life changing skills such as confidence, self-belief, trust and an 'I can' attitude. For some of these students, getting through to Year 11 and final exams was looking bleak, but the experiences enabled them to complete it and achieve."   

She tells the story of one boy, the last in a large family, none of whom had completed their education successfully until the youngest was chosen to sail at age 13. The experience helped to integrate him, making him feel recognised and valued in school, building positive friendships and breaking down barriers with school staff. Three years later he left school with a good attendance record and some GCSE passes, to train as a motor mechanic.

OYT South added:

“Ocean Youth Trust South works in partnership with schools and youth groups to support the wellbeing of young people and help them develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Ned’s Fund has enabled us to build a partnership with the Vyne School in Basingstoke which does brilliant work to support children who need a bit of extra help if they are going to get the most out of their time at school: the ones who are struggling, who feel they don’t fit in, the ones at risk of being overlooked or neglected, the square pegs who aren’t thriving in round holes. Picking these students for a sailing trip not only builds their self-esteem, confidence, communication and teamworking skills: it also sends a powerful message that the school has noticed them, cares about them, believes in them and wants to help them do well. Participation in a voyage early in their school career often kickstarts a lasting change which sees these students going on to complete their education successfully. Without Ned’s Fund, the Vyne School would not be able to afford to send students sailing with Ocean Youth Trust South.”

Haroun Al-Goned

The Sussex Cricket Foundation set up its Champions Fund in 2021, to help financially support talented players within their boys and girls pathway to fulfil their potential. The fund helps support parents with programme, equipment, and travel costs to remove barriers from players accessing the game.

In 2023, through funds raised by the Foundation and support from partners such as Rathbones, the fund had already supported 11 players totalling £9,000. We are delighted to be able to continue to support such a fantastic cause.

Udage Diyon De Silva lives in Crawley, schools at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) and plays club cricket locally for Crawley Eagles Cricket Club. Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director, said:

“I am thrilled to be working in partnership with Ned’s Fund to help financially support players through our Champions Fund. The fund was created to help remove financial barriers and to support talented players within our boys, girls or disability cricket pathways. Diyon has been identified by our pathway coaching team as an extremely talented player with potential to progress through the county age group programme, hopefully this financial support will go some way to helping Diyon to fulfil those ambitions.”

Diyon’s parents have expressed their thanks:

“We are truly grateful for the support that Ned’s Fund is providing for Diyon. He really enjoys his involvement on the Sussex Pathway and in the specialist, development groups that he’s been selected for. This will allow us to provide more opportunity for Diyon to play the game that he loves so much”.

Jo Marsden, founder of Neds Fund added:

“I’m thrilled to be working in partnership with the Sussex Cricket Foundation to support their Champions Fund.  It was such a pleasure to meet Diyon with his parents and to witness Diyon’s obvious natural talent.  I’m really looking forward to an exciting year for Diyon and Ned’s Fund.  Ned’s Fund exists to help young people find their path through life, whatever that may be.  Cricket, where individual talent and teamwork are equally important, provides the perfect setting for personal development as well as sporting excellence.”

Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation is a youth education charity who inspire and enable healthy living, educational attainment and social inclusion for children and young people facing disadvantage. They use the power of cricket and sports, outdoor recreation and their unique historic setting of Arundel Castle Cricket Ground to inspire and enhance the education, health and development of disadvantaged young people.

Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation was formed and registered as a charity in 1986 and works alongside The Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club. Over the years the charity has focused strongly on supporting young people from the most deprived areas and particularly inner London boroughs where the need has been greatest.

The Foundation also delivers a well-established Special Educational Needs and Disability Programme which supports young people from more than 40 schools, with a range of learning and physical disabilities, as well for those with hearing and visual impairments.

Tim Shutt, director of the Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation, said:

“We are extremely grateful to Ned’s Fund for their hugely generous donation to this programme. On meeting Jo Marsden, the Founder of Ned’s Fund and Ned’s Mother, I was immediately struck by her incredible passion to make sustainable and life-changing impacts on young people. We share their ethos and are thrilled to be partnering up on this exciting new venture.”

In 2021, they added:

"Thanks to the grant from Ned’s Fund, over 200 young people have benefitted from our outdoors education programme. Coming from the group of Bohunt schools, all children selected were either struggling with mainstream education or facing real challenges in life in general. Further to their programme with us, which involved cricket, bushcraft and visits to the Castle, their confidence has been boosted, and they have developed a range of new skills, all of which can help get them back on track in education or their life in general."

A number of participants provided their accounts of the programme. They said:

“I loved all the days at Arundel, but my favourite activity was the cricket which I was not expecting because I had never played it before. It was really nice to go on a school trip which we haven’t done much of this year. Coming back to school I felt more confident and happy and it made me realise trying new things can be a good thing. The only thing I would change is the weather but that not you’re fault.”

“Thank you for taking me on the trip. I enjoyed all the sessions. The team building was fun though I didn’t like being blindfolded. I loved seeing the castle as well I’d like to live there. It felt special being chosen for the trip and I have made some new friends which is nice. I hope I can use the teamwork skills I have learnt to be a better football player.” (This student had not left Portsmouth before the trip)

“My name is Nathan and I recently went to 3 of your Arundel cricket sessions. I really enjoyed doing the trip with my friends, learning about cricket, and some mental health activities. One of my favourite parts of it was probably when we did the quick cricket and proper cricket games. A highlight was on the last day when we did catching, bowling and batting just in groups of 4 or 5. I also enjoyed the blindfolded trail session in the Forest which was really fun, although I hit some trees! It made my senses work overtime to try and think and feel where I was. I think that this was a great experience that helped with my confidence and also building up my friend Olly's courage. It helped him to do something he wouldn’t usually do and he actually enjoyed it. Overall I think it was a great experience and totally worth it for anyone that wants to give it a shot! I want to say thank you to all the staff for helping me to do this amazing experience."

"Hello my name is Alexander and I am writing about the 3 Arundel cricket days that we went to quite recently. I especially enjoyed how we went with our friends that we know from school. One of the best activities was probably the blindfold one, it confused me for quite a while since I struggled to find the correct path along the sets of rope that were hanged around the forest, but I got there eventually. Apart from this activity, I also thought the cricket and the cricket training was decent, we tried our best to win against other schools in lots of different games! To conclude, I wanted to add how helpful the mindfulness session was, it let go of my worries and some of the stresses I might have had, and understand why it is important to look after my mental health. I would say I feel more confident and happy to talk to others since this trip. Finally I would like to say a big thanks to all the staff who participated in this trip, it probably was very tiring for them!"

"My review of the experience was good because it kept me on my feet and allowed me to get to know some new people and kind of take my mind of school and onto learning more about my well-being, teamwork and cricket."

Go Live Theatre – formerly Mousetrap Theatre Projects – is a theatre education charity, established in 1997. Its remit is to provide access to outstanding theatre productions and the performing arts for marginalised and vulnerable young people and families. Through a range of creative learning projects in schools and community settings, experienced drama practitioners provide an opportunity for young people to learn new skills, take risks, broaden their horizons, develop self-confidence and raise their aspirations. During Covid, Mousetrap ran its programmes online as they awaited the reopening of theatres.

Before the lockdown, a particular highlight of their work was the Change Your Tune programme undertaken in schools. Together with a professional playwright and musical director, the students co-created "Where Are We Going?", a spectacular mini-musical exploring the pressures on young people and their anxieties about school, social media and the future. It was an incredible and powerful piece of work, and a hit with teachers, students and their families.

One pupil said:

"Since Change Your Tune I am able to put myself forward to do things and not be afraid of the judgement that might follow."

A parent of one of the pupils added:

"We were shocked, somewhat speechless, when we saw the show ... my daughter's self-confidence shone brightly throughout the performance."

Susan Whiddington CBE, the former Chief Executive, had also previously said:

"We feel incredibly fortunate to have been chosen by Ned’s Fund for support of our Change Your Tune project, as we know the huge difference it makes not only for young participants, but for the entire school community. It’s wonderful, too, to find such a positive, engaged, caring and supportive funder!”

Jamie’s Farm acts a catalyst for change enabling young people at risk of social and academic exclusion to thrive and engage more fully with education, at home and in their community. It offers a unique blend of 'farming, family, therapy, and legacy' through a transformative 5-day residential programme with follow-up support. Young people leave the farm better equipped to thrive academically, socially and emotionally during their school years and beyond.

They said in 2019:

"Jamie’s Farm has really valued and enjoyed the partnership with Ned’s Fund over the last year. It is always great to work with a like-minded organisation who put young people first  enabling them to succeed at the forefront of their work. I have especially enjoyed working with Jo and find her passion for helping young people infectious and admire her hard work and determination in getting Ned’s Fund up and running, she is a very special person. We look forward to working together again this year and going forward."