4 March 2023 Blikkiesdorp Football Club returns to sail
Blikkiesdorp Football Club visited us at the Waterfront for the Ocean Race on the 18th of February and watched The Little Optimist Movie at the amphitheatre. Last Saturday, coaches Joyce and…
Birthday Party 4 March 2023
Birthday parties at The Little Optimist are for both the young and old!Here is Caeden tying knots with his Granddad. The creativity was flowing with the decorations at this party…
Onwaba’s final checkup
In late 2021 little Onwaba, from Umtata, underwent a dual leg straightening operation.This brave little girl has been recovering well and has visited Cape Town 3 times for checkups since…
OPTIMiS…t Prime
Greg Bertish is a man with a big heart. His story is inspiring and shows that resilience together with a positive mindset and an unfathomable amount of optimism you can…
Generation Schools Visit 23 – 26 January
The 9-12 Phase from Generation Schools Imhoff had a blast at our academy. “The best outing ever”. Thanks to all the teachers who enjoyed it just as much as the kids :)
Llandudno Primary Outing 9 & 13 February
The grade 6 and 7's from Llandudno Primary learnt all about sailing and ocean health. It was the most exciting, close finish for the relay race! #nevergiveup
Birthday Splash
We had a Birthday “Splash” this Saturday.Book a birthday party with us for a fun time and assist a charity, all in one go!Bookings at sailing@thelittleoptimist.org.
Who says you can’t sail in a burka?
It is always fun and games when Zaironesa Karriem and her team from Bonteheuwel come visit with children from their community. There was a feisty wind that ensured speed and…
Read aloud day
For World Read Aloud Day, we visited some Foundation Phase classes at Generation Schools Imhoff to read the tale of The Little Optimist. The children were fascinated to learn that…
Good Tidings Podcast S3E29: Greg Bertish & Rob Sanderson
Click here to listen to Podcast Welcome to the Good Tidings Podcast with host Larry Harper, Founder of the Good Tidings Foundation. This podcast is all about highlighting the good in people…
Heideveld comes sailing
Heideveld Baptist Church Outing – 12 January 2023We started 2023 with a bang, welcoming the Heideveld Baptist Church Group. Ten brave and feisty little girls learnt about optimism, ocean health…
Christmas Hospital Visits 2022
This week The Little Optimist Team visited children in hospitals around the western Cape.Our Team delivered LOVE, SMILES, medals, books, and TEDDIES to the kids in Maitland, Red Cross, Tygerberg,…
Christmas 2022 – Teddy Bear Drive
1000s of Teddy Bears and plush toys are being collected and donated to the Little Optimist Trust, by our partners and friends around the Western Cape.The Teddies have been pouring…
15 youth from Blikkiesdorp Football Club joined us on 13 December
15 youth from Blikkiesdorp Football Club joined us on 13 December for a morning of inspiration, fun and sailing.We were joined by Kevin Langeree (2 x World Kite boarding champion…
Bonteheuwel kids visit The Little Optimist
On 10 December kids from Bonteheuwel experienced sailing for the very first time.These kids come from a highly under-resourced area, their home lives can be dangerous with exposure to drug…
Ending the year on the water with The SOS Africa Children’s Charity
The SOS Africa Children’s Charity is a grassroots child sponsorship organisation which invests 100% of their donations in the education and care of African children. To end off the year the children were…
Astra Final update
We are super proud to share the final result of our project at Astra Special School for 2022.2 bathrooms were completely refurbished with beautiful tiles sponsored by Italtile who also…
The surprising benefits of blue spaces
Ten years after researchers first found that "blue spaces" could be good for us, the concept is proving to be a powerful, practical tool for mental health.Amidst the gentle rock…
References
Letter from Reverend about the amazing sailing therapy lessons hosted Read the letter here See the attached references written by the sweet children from Lawhill school. Read the reference letters…
Great Optimist Race: Optimists race raises R130 000 for charity
This year’s Great Optimist Race in conjunction with Boatica was a showdown of epic proportions as the wind dropped midway into the race, and skippers resorted to paddles, their hands, and dirty tactics with…
Sailing For Good! Great Optimist Race Raises R130,000 for Charity!
“The Great Optimist Race 2022 was an absolute blast. It was fast and it was furious, and the racing was hard and it was fun, and it was wet for…
Courageous Cape Town trio prepare to set sail for charity
A trio of courageous Capetonians who have all faced severe adversity are preparing to sail in the Great Optimist Race hosted by Boatica at the V&A Waterfront.Shark attack survivor Caleb…
Three survivors prepare to sail for charity
PRESS RELEASEThree survivors prepare to set sail for charityA trio of courageous Capetonians who have all faced serious challenges are preparing for a different kind of test this Saturday: sailing…
Ahoy matey – come sail with us!
Published by Tauhira Ajam on October 26, 2022 Numerous studies in recent years have shown sailing to have a profound impact on mental health. According to Dr Wallace Nichols, an award-winning marine biologist, the mere…
The GREAT OPTIMIST RACE 2022
AHOY MATEY, THE GREAT OPTIMIST RACE IS BACK! The Great Optimist Race in conjunction with Boatica is back! Following a two-year break as a result of the global pandemic, the…
Astra Update 3
While the boys bathroom gets it finishing touches, the girls bathroom has started taking shape.Beautiful soft grey tiles were chosen for the girls side – Italtile really has amazing taste.Keep…
ASTRA update!
The boys bathroom has started to transform and it is looking AMAZING.Italtile chose beautiful tiles that brighten up the room gorgeously – we cannot wait for the kids to see…
Canal Clean Up for World Clean Up Day
We partnered with the V & A Aquarium to give some specially chosen children an experience they would not forget!The group arrived and immediately got stuck into an informative and…
Astra Special School bathroom refurbishment – update
On 12 September 2022 we finally started phase 1 of the Astra Project, in collaboration with Italtile.Installco, our contractor, arrived bright and early and went straight to work removing the…
Heideveld Children Ministry come sailing
We work with incredible people... Rev Vernon brought just 12 of his hundreds of children that he works with to come sailing on the 27 August. The children he works with…
Soccer Budyz come sailing
"Soccer Budyz is an extramural program that works in partnership with schools in Cape Town. Boys and girls ages 3-10 will have an opportunity to enhance their physical and social…
Woman’s Day HIIT Drive
HIIT Fitness and its members collected sanitary pads during the month of July for donation to Woman’s Shelter Movement for Woman’s Day 2022.Woman's Shelter Movement strives to be the united…
Sailing Can Improve Quality of Life of People with Severe Mental Disorders: Results of a Cross Over Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT - The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a sailing rehabilitation program on the quality of life (QoL) in a sample of patients with severe…
Sailing as a therapy?
Veterans with mental conditions, substance abuse disorder help researchers find answers
St Joseph’s come sailing
A special group of 10 lovely little souls arrived to take on some sailing therapy! We had the best day together.We are lucky to work with such organisations.Once the Sailing…
Sentinel Ocean Alliance joins Optimist Trust
A winters day spent right! On the canal with 8 excited and brilliant children from The Home of Hope! Our first group was the littler children from Home of Hope and…
A big thank you from Home of Hope
On behalf of our Home of Hope Family we would like to say a HUGE thank you to The Little Optimist Sailing Academy for inviting our children to an outing…
Home of Hope second trip to Sail!
A winters day spent right! On the canal with 8 excited and brilliant children from The Home of Hope! Our first group was the littler children from Home of Hope and…
Upgrade and beautification of Astra
Astra Special School – under construction The Little Optimist Trusts BIG project for 2022 is the refurbishment of Astra Special School Dormitories – bedrooms and bathrooms! Italtile and Italtile Foundation…
Durbanville Children’s Home progress
Durbanville Children’s Home embarked on the huge task of refurbishing their bathrooms. With a very kind donation of R50 000.00 from Italtile Foundation, they were able to get the process started.…
Terrance DID it with Astra
5 wheel chairs and 7 special needs children arrived from Astra to learn all about sailing!BLOWING little minds❤️#astraspecialschool kids got to experience a day of magic and magnificent moments yesterday.❤️These beautiful…
Sailing at its best with the youngest at Home of Hope
A group of gorgeous little ones from the Home of Hope arrived this past Saturday to learn all about sailing, ropes, and get a chance to go to the Aquarium. We…
HIIT Easter Drive 2022
This year HIIT Fitness had a collection drive for Marsh Memorial Home They collected clothing, toiletries and loads of yummy Easter eggs for the kids. Marsh Memorial officially opened their…
Huis Andrew Murray (HAM) Child and Youth Care Centre go sailing!
10 excited children arrived at our Sailing academy early on 23 April ready to learn how to sail! We spent some time in the classroom learning some techniques and all…
Forever Strong Durbell
During the month of February – Forever Strong Durbell wanted to spread the love a little further. The gym collected blankets, clothing and toys for Heaven’s Nest – Temporary Child…
Little Optimist Trust recognised for its charity efforts
There was more good news this month for the Little Optimist Trust in the week that it opened its new sailing academy at the V&A Waterfront. The Trust has received a grant of almost R500 000 (27 500 euros) from the Paris 2024 Olympics in association with the French Development Association.
Sailing Therapy with 9 Miles
On a perfect Saturday morning, 10 excited students arrived from the 9 Miles project!We spent the day together learning how to tie knots, ocean cleanliness and how to protect the…
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy in Sea Point
https://youtu.be/V3Wwjf9wuTo
Ahoy, little sailors! Cape Town sailing academy gets almost R500 000 from Paris 2024 Olympics
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy in Cape Town recently received close to R500 000 from the Paris 2024 Olympics. The charity is the only one worldwide that offers sailing therapy to…
The Grand Opening! 23 March 2022
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy @ Battery Park V&A Waterfront. The celebrities and boating and sailing legends rolled in to celebrate this amazing milestone and the first of its kind in…
LITTLE OPTIMIST ACADEMY TO BE BASED AT V&A WATERFRONT
Top yards throw weight behind Bertish initiative. Two of South Africa’s top yards have thrown their weight behind a new ‘sail therapy’ initiative for disadvantaged South African children at the…
Sailing Therapy with Astra
Astra School is very close to our hearts for many reasons! On 15 March 2022 10 excited learners arrived for their Sailing Therapy and Aquarium experience! The day was filled…
The Little Optimist – Italtile’s CSI partner – Launches a sailing academy with a difference
Greg Bertish is an inspiration to all of us at Italtile; a Multiple Heart Surgery Survivor, Big Wave Surfer, Ocean Activist, SA Champion Lifesaver and Stand Up Paddle Boarder. But he will tell you that his greatest joy is The Little Optimist Trust – Italtile’s chosen CSI partner – where he and his inspirational teams help to keep hope afloat for some of South Africa’s most at-risk children. Sick, poor, frail or differently abled, every child touched by the programme learns skill sets that empower them to survive and thrive, and become Little Optimists. Although much of the Trust’s work happens in the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and in township outreach events, some of the programme is run on the water, in the brave little boats that gave the Trust its name. An annual race event helps raise awareness and much-needed funds, and Italtile’s own Optimist sets sail at every event!
New sailing academy in Cape Town offers haven for vulnerable children
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy will soon be launched at the popular V&A Waterfront. The academy is a flagship programme of the Little Optimist Trust, which aims to inspire children…
Little optimists sail from V&A
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy, a flagship programme of The Little Optimist Trust, will soon be permanently based at the V&A Waterfront’s Battery Park. For the past three years the…
Sailing Academy Press Release
Just when you thought the V&A Waterfront couldn't offer up anything more... an exciting new venue is set to open its doors next month at Battery Park. Cape Town’s premium…
Holy Cross Children’s Home goes sailing
04 December 2021 10 Kids aged between 9 and 12 got to sail for the very first time. In fact, 8 out of 10 had never been on a boat…
Constantia Primary Sailing Therapy Day – 17/11/2021
On the 17th November a group of Grade 3 learners from Constantia Primary could not wait for the home time bell to ring, as they were super excited for the…
Inspiration Day at Constantia Primary
On Tuesday the 23rd of November, The Little Optimist hosted one of their Inspiration Days at Constantia Primary. These days are intended to inspire kids to survive and thrive. It…
Forever Strong
On the 10th of November The Little Optimist team along with the Forever Strong Durbell team did a massive toiletry donation to Durbanville Children’s Home.Durbanville Children’s Home houses 115 at…