About Us

What is Sea Sanctuary? (our aims)

Sea Sanctuary is a very unique Charity and offers health education onboard our 1959 classic yacht, Leopard.

We offer individuals an opportunity to experience life afloat through our residential programme, where our client sailors are encouraged to participate in one of our programmes. We support the needs of a variety of people of different ages, abilities and level of wellness.

We have a very simple remit as a service; we want to support as many people as possible through the medium of Sail Training and health education.

Many of the people we support will present with poor mental health, others may wish for basic respite, some will want to increase their level of self-awareness and some will simply want to experience improved well-being in one of the most stimulating environments available.

Some people refer to this type of intervention as Sail Training, others may refer to it as Wilderness Therapy and it is also know as Adventure Therapy. This is where Sea Sanctuary goes even further- we provide evidence-based intervention and this is delivered in an informal style and within a group setting.

You will not find any other organisation within Europe offering the same type of support. We are the first marine based Charity to ever receive the formal and financial backing from the NHS and we are professionally accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Community Management (ILCM).

Sea Sanctuary creates the ideal setting for promoting positive mental health, offering hope and purpose through dynamic, therapeutically-based education amidst Cornwall’s stunning coastal environment. We provide a safe and naturalistic environment as an alternative venue for mental health care. We work in partnership with statutory and non-statutory mental health service providers as an adjunct within the community to their existing services.

Our Philosophy

The ethos behind Sea Sanctuary is based on modern research reflecting the findings of studies based on Sail Training (The Characteristics and Value of Sail Training Experience: University of Edinburgh 2007), wilderness settings and the therapeutic benefits of combining activity and therapeutic intervention for individuals wishing to improve their well-being, all of which is delivered in a non clinical setting.

Sea Sanctuary believes that working with individuals or groups, the boat itself will provide an underpinning framework that represents a common interest for all involved. The unique setting of Sea Sanctuary- using a working sea faring vessel, makes the probability of therapeutic change more likely due to the stimulating nature of the boat itself combined with the journey around the spectacular Cornish coastline.

The effect of Sea Sanctuary is to further the de-stigmatisation of mental health problems in a society that still increasingly marginalises those with difficulties. It also utilises the locality in increasing the well-being of those individuals requiring support by reinforcing their connection with Cornwall through spending time absorbing its heritage.