Sailing Therapy Academy awarded IOC Sustained Insight and Impact Initiative grant

Oranjekloof kids learning to sail with The Little Optimist Sailing Therapy Academy

We would like to thank Independent Online for their article: Underprivileged children to reap reward as The Little Optimist Trust wins top grant

We are absolutely delighted to share this incredible news with our community – The Little Optimist Trust has been awarded a substantial grant of €26,000 (around R520,000) from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This recognition, part of the highly esteemed Sustained Insight and Impact Initiative, is a tremendous honor for us and a significant boost to our mission of using sailing as a powerful tool for mental health therapy and social inclusion.

Over the past three years, our Sailing Therapy Academy has made waves, positively impacting over 1,000 young lives. Thanks to the unwavering support of local champions like Two Ocean Marine, Ullman Sails, Italtile, and Southernwind Shipyard, we’ve been able to offer access, education, and therapeutic intervention to children and communities who need it most.

This grant will allow us to expand our reach even further across South Africa. We’re excited to set up multiple new sites and develop more impactful multi-day programs that will bring the joy and therapeutic benefits of sailing to even more children. Our goal has always been to create a lasting, positive impact on young lives, and this funding is a huge step towards that.

We’re also thrilled to see our efforts gaining international recognition. Recently, we had the privilege of sharing our work at some of the most prestigious yacht clubs and community sailing centers in the USA. It’s incredibly encouraging to see how our message of hope and resilience is resonating across the globe.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey – this achievement is as much yours as it is ours.