Island charities, athletes and community groups celebrated at Wightlink event

More than 200 representatives from charities, sports clubs, arts organisations and community groups, along with members of the Isle of Wight Talented Athlete Scheme, came together at Quay Arts in Newport on 30 June as Wightlink celebrated the people and organisations making a difference across the Isle of Wight.

The annual Wightlink in the Community celebration recognised the achievements of the many organisations and individuals supported through the ferry operator’s long-running community sponsorship programme, while also providing an opportunity for guests to network and share their stories and successes.

Guests included Talented Athlete Noah Gartell, who has recently been selected to represent England as part of the U16 national snooker team. Also footballers from Oakfield Youth who have just been crowned Midsolent League Champions, Ability Dogs 4 Young People who are celebrating training their 100th puppy and members of Sporting Opportunities Isle of Wight who proudly brought along their medals and trophies.

Wightlink supports more than 50 sports, charitable and cultural organisations, alongside more than 80 individual athletes through the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme. The Wightlink in the Community initiative reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to helping Island organisations with cross-Solent travel so they can continue delivering opportunities for local people.

Katy Taylor, Wightlink’s Chief Executive, said: “This event reminds us of the remarkable people, organisations and achievements that make the Isle of Wight such a special place. From athletes competing on the national and international stage to charities, community groups and researchers making a real difference every day, it’s a privilege supporting them to achieve their goals.

“We know that travelling to the mainland is often essential, and we’re proud that our support helps make more mainland travel possible so these inspiring organisations and individuals can continue to achieve great things.”

Carol Court, founder of Ability Dogs 4 Young People said: “Wightlink have been supporting us for more years than I can remember, providing us with ferry travel so that we can go back and forth when choosing puppies or taking dogs to the vets. It makes a huge difference to us as a charity, so we are very grateful for Wightlink’s support.”

Underwater hockey players Sam Speak and Juliet Irvine who are part of the Talented Athlete Scheme, said: “Wightlink has helped us get to the GB camps which are up in Leeds and in Plymouth, which is a long journey and helps us to get a lot better and it’s helped us with our selections and becoming better athletes and underwater hockey players.”

Dr Ian Hendy from The Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Portsmouth said: “Without Wightlink the important coastal research we do around the Isle of Wight – which ranges from kelp forest to salt marsh to seagrass and coastal oak forests – really wouldn’t be possible. Thank you!”

Carmen and Tegan from Solent Synchro ice skating team said: “We have to travel over to Gosport for training twice a week because there’s no ice rink here anymore. Wightlink’s travel sponsorship has really supported us to be able to carry on doing what we love and progress in our sport.”

Guests enjoyed refreshments while meeting fellow community partners and members of the Wightlink team, creating new connections across a wide range of organisations working to support Islanders.

For almost 40 years, Wightlink in the Community has helped Island organisations and talented individuals access opportunities beyond the Solent, with the annual celebration recognising the impact of those partnerships.

To find out more about Wightlink in the Community, visit https://cry2.iphone18x.tk/community