1851 Trust has been named Maritime Solent’s Charity Partner for 2026-27, bringing together two organisations with deep roots in the Solent and a shared ambition to open the industry to the next generation.
The Solent is one of the UK’s great maritime hubs, home to world-leading businesses, cutting-edge technology, thousands of jobs and exciting careers. But for many young people, maritime simply isn’t on their horizon. 1851 Trust and Maritime Solent are joining forces to change that.
Founded by Sir Ben during the British Challenge for the America’s Cup, 1851 Trust uses high-performance sport to bring science, technology, engineering and maths to life, connecting classroom learning with the real world and inspiring a new generation of British talent. Its free digital education platform, STEM Crew, hosts over 60 STEM and climate based resources which are already used by 46% of UK secondary schools and used across 31 countries.
Sir Ben Ainslie, Patron and co-founder of 1851 Trust, said “The talent is already there – the curiosity, the ambition, the potential. But what young people need is the chance to see where that could take them.
“Maritime has so many different careers and pathways, but if you don’t know those opportunities exist, how do you know they’re for you? Working with Maritime Solent gives us a great opportunity to open up those pathways.
“1851 Trust is delighted to be named Maritime Solent’s Charity Partner of the Year. The Solent is home to one of the UK’s largest maritime clusters and provides incredible pathways, skills and careers and bleeding edge technology and innovation.
Jo Grindley, CEO of 1851 Trust, said: “Our aim is to inspire more young people into STEM careers and the maritime industry through our sports inspired digital education platform and in person school’s programmes. With the support of Maritime Solent’s network, we can provide pathways to help close the skills gap.”
Stuart Baker, Chief Executive of Maritime Solent, said: “Working with 1851 Trust provides a great opportunity to partner with one of the region’s most innovative charities, using elite sports to break down barriers for young people to access education in STEM subjects.
“We are looking forward to working with 1851 Trust to help open up further opportunities across our network and support more young people to consider pathways into rewarding maritime careers.”