A Largs-based charity that has given 3,000 young cancer survivors the trip of a lifetime is celebrating a decade of sailing from the town.

Hundreds of young people are looking forward to an inspirational sailing adventure this summer, thanks to the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, based at Largs Yacht Haven.

Founded by the record-breaking yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur on the Isle of Wight in 2003, the trust opened its second base, in Largs, in 2013.

Trust CEO Frank Fletcher told the News choosing Largs as a location made sense thanks to its central position and incredible views.

He said: “We were made to feel really welcome in Largs when we visited in 2009, when we sailed round the whole of Britain. This place now has a very special place in my heart.

“There are so many reasons why Largs was chosen as the charity’s second base. It is a fantastic place to go sailing, there are so many locations to visit, and it’s reasonably sheltered.

“We wanted to cut people’s travel time and the impact it was having on the planet, because we were working with young people from Glasgow and Edinburgh hospitals.

“We were flying them down to Southampton, away from one of the most stunning places in the UK, to sail.”

The charity also made the move to Scotland to allow it to work with more youngsters than ever before.

Frank explained: “At that time we also wanted to work with more young people under 18.

“We only take them sailing during the school holidays, because one of the challenges that age group faces during treatment is they miss time at school.

“With the different school holidays in Scotland and England, we could support more children and teenagers while helping them re-engage with education.”

Throughout the summer, up to 300 young people from across the UK will experience transformational four and five day trips on the water with the charity.

These will help youngsters aged eight to 24 to believe in a brighter future through sailing and outdoor adventure.

Frank has given a special thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for their help in establishing the charity’s base in Largs.

He said: “We wouldn’t have been able to come here without players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. We’d just been through a recession and 2010 was quite hard for the trust.

“Because People’s Postcode Lottery came and said they would give us the seed funding to open in Largs, that gave the board the confidence to go ahead.”

2023 also marks 20 years since the trust opened, when they took five young people sailing back in 2003.

Since then, almost 2,900 young people living through and beyond cancer have benefited from the trust’s activities in England and Scotland.

For more information visit www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @emctrust on social media.