Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust announce Jeremy Morris as new Operations Manager in East Cowes
by Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust 23 Feb 2022 21:22 PST
The Trust's Solent Hero yacht sailing on the Solent © Martin Allen Photography
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has a new Operations Manager for the south, with Jeremy Morris appointed to help inspire young people living through and beyond cancer from across the UK to believe in a brighter future.
Jeremy, who most recently worked as a sailmaker in Brighton, will manage all of the Trust's operational activities in the south of England and Wales from its base in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
Jeremy's career in sailing took off after he earned his Yachtmaster at UKSA before working with Neilson Holidays as a yacht trainer, teaching people to sail on the Ionian Sea in Greece. He went on to skipper for their flotillas before becoming their yacht manager.
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust inspires young people aged 8-24 to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer. For many young people, picking up where they left off before their diagnosis isn't possible. So, when treatment ends, the Trust's work begins.
Through the Trust's sailing and outdoor activities, coordinated from East Cowes and the Trust's Scottish base in Largs, young people meet others who have had similar experiences - often for the first time, rediscover independence away from home, experience an increased sense of purpose and self-worth, and begin to realise what they are capable of again. Most importantly they stop feeling like the 'only one'.
Jeremy will oversee two different sailing programmes from East Cowes - four-day trips for young people sailing with the Trust for the first time, and longer cruising trips on the Solent for those returning for a second time or more. He will also look after outdoor adventure trips throughout the UK including at Bradwell in Essex and Longtown in Hereford.
Jeremy said: "For me, it's about giving back. I wanted to leave the corporate side and come into a world where it feels right. You feel happy at the end of the day. I've got three kids under the age of two, we're moving an entire family to the Isle of Wight. We're looking forward to the adventure and my first season with the Trust."
He began sailing at five years old, when his dad taught him to sail dinghies on a reservoir near their house in Bath. He then joined after-school dinghy sailing clubs which took place on local lakes.
As well as his time at Neilson, Jeremy has worked stints on superyachts and helped crew Blind Week, supporting visually impaired people to get involved with sailing.
He continued: "Pretty much my entire life and upbringing was on boats. Never living on one, but any family holiday was always a boat. My career has been around marinas, fixing boats, doing all sorts of stuff. There's 30 years of sailing knowledge somewhere inside my brain, so I know what it can do and the freedom it can provide for a lot of people."
Frank Fletcher, Trust CEO, said: "We welcome Jeremy as we thank Laura Davis, Jeremy's predecessor, for her incredible time at the Trust, overseeing the continued growth of our operations in the southern half of the UK. We are glad to have Jeremy aboard, who brings a lifetime of professional sailing experience and a passion for making a real difference to young people living through and beyond cancer."
For more information visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org.