18 June 2026
It’s a relationship that has had a sizeable and profound impact on countless young people living through and beyond cancer. We simply would not be able to do what we do without them.
The milestone was marked in June with a visit from some of the Postcode Lottery team, who joined us for a celebratory sailing day in Largs on Scotland’s beautiful west coast.
Together, we shared memories of the early days, and reflected on just how much working together has changed hundreds of young lives forever.
Clara Govier, Managing Director at Postcode Lottery, joined us as part of our celebration. She said: “I first saw the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and the true magic that it does probably 15 years ago when I was very lucky to go on one of the trips from Cowes with a group of young people.
“When the young people went on the boats, they were slightly traumatised, they’d really lost their confidence, they didn’t have a lot of friends. But when they came off the boat they were like different people. They were actually kids, they were having fun. And I think that’s truly what the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust does – it delivers hope.”
Back in 2011, we looked very different as an organisation. There were no big blue boats. Our base in Largs didn’t exist. And we were taking around 300 young people on sailing and outdoor adventures.
Cut to today: thanks to Postcode Lottery players, more than 650 young people feel the magic of our transformational trips every year. Largs is thriving and enabling more young people to access the help they need. Solent Hero and Caledonian Hero – our iconic and instantly recognisable flagship yachts – break down barriers to access with their carefully considered adaptations.
We were able to buy a new van from funds raised by Postcode Lottery players in 2011. It was a simple thing that made all the difference: we could finally manage the logistics to run outdoor adventure trips across the UK. At the same time, we were able to buy extra oilskins and lifejackets too, ensuring every young person could join us on the water safely as demand grew.
Two years later in 2013, we ran our first sailing trip in Largs, mostly out of the back of the van! With a base on the Isle of Wight and one in Scotland, more young people were able to experience the freedom and laughter of a sailing adventure.
We received £100,000 raised by Postcode Lottery players in 2014 and, crucially, it was unrestricted, allowing us to dream bigger. It meant we could innovate and take risks and shape experiences around what young people told us they needed. It was a gamechanger.
Heroes welcomeIn 2015, we moved from working out of a van in Largs to having a proper base, which meant we could put real roots down in the area. We could welcome more young people, grow our team, and reach communities we’d never been able to before. The following year we launched our first canal trip using fully accessible barges, meaning young people with limited mobility or who needed extra support could experience the same spirit of adventure.
Solent Hero and Caledonian Hero arrived in 2017, both named in honour of the Hero’s Fund. They lowered the costs of trips, as we no longer had to charter every yacht, and their special adaptations opened sailing up to young people with mobility or visual impairments. They expanded what was possible.
Siblings of young people living through and beyond cancer joined us for the first time in 2018. Thanks to unrestricted funding, we could offer them their own space for joy, connection, and to feel seen, as they are often overlooked and face their own challenges.
We received a special – and prescient – award in 2019 to help us tackle loneliness. It became a lifeline when the pandemic hit and our support moved online. Because of this award, young people still had a place to connect and feel part of a community.
Since we got #BackOnBoard in 2021, we have continued to grow our year-round activities, wellbeing support, volunteering pathways, and EDIB learning designed to help every young person feel like they belong, all thanks to Postcode Lottery players.
Reflecting on 15 years of friendship, Dame Ellen MacArthur said: “Hundreds of young people’s lives every year have been changed by players of the Postcode Lottery. Thanks to players, they’ve rediscovered joy, connected with others who understand, and embraced life again. Put simply, players have changed young people’s lives. Thank you for inspiring them to believe in their brighter future.”