Almost on a daily basis, requests come in from Schools, Health Visitors, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and any other organisations who have direct dealings with families. These requests are for help with food, shoes, clothing, baby equipment and other basic needs. Variety also receive requests to provide specialized equipment for disabled children such as wheelchairs, walkers, electronic beds and special supportive buggies.

All of these requests are for children from low income families and most often single parent families. Variety pay towards educational school trips, mostly to France for children whose parents cannot afford it, ensuring no child in the class is left behind. Variety's aim is to ensure that as far as possible all children have equal opportunities. Variety hold Summer and Christmas parties for children with special needs, their parents and siblings. 

If you need help, or know someone who does, please follow the Help Request link above and submit it or print it and post it to Variety - the Children's Charity of Jersey, Maufant Variety Youth Centre, Grand Route de St Martin, St Saviour, Jersey, JE2 7GT. All requests are dealt with in the strictest confidence and within 24 hours of receipt.

The Variety Sailing Trust exists to provide sailing opportunities for disadvantaged and special needs children of all ages in Jersey. Each year, hundreds of local children are able to enjoy and benefit from the experience of going afloat under sail.

To continue to provide this opportunity to our young people, the Trust is reliant on donations, from both corporate and the public alike.

The Trust currently operates a 38 foot Broadblue 385 catamaran called “Vernon Lilford Spirit of Variety” which had been modified to allow disabled access. The yacht provides a stable and safe platform for people to enjoy an experience at sea.

For more information, please visit www.varietysailingtrust.co.uk.

HISTORY

The Variety Sailing Trust was established through the Royal Court of Jersey in 1993. The Government of Jersey Youth Service had successfully chartered a modified catamaran called “Sealegs” during that same year and was overwhelmed by the response from disabled people wishing to experience sailing. As a result, the Youth Service set about forming a Trust and, by 1994, sufficient funds were raised to purchase the Trust’s first yacht, an Event 34 catamaran called “Spirit of Variety”. This yacht was named in response to a large part of the funding coming from Variety, the Children’s Charity of Jersey, something which continues to this day.

Over the next twelve years or so, this yacht completed thousands of miles cruising with the disabled and underprivileged. With 25 disabled sailors, this yacht took part in an ocean crossing from Jersey to St Lucia in the Caribbean in 1999.

Eventually, the Trust wore this yacht out! So, once again they began the task of raising the funds for a replacement. Largely thanks to a generous donation from the Late Elder Statesman Lord Vernon Lilford’s estate, in 2007 the Trust were able to purchase their current yacht, a Broad Blue 385 named “Vernon Lilford Spirit of Variety”.

If you would like further information or to book the Spirit of Variety, please email admin@varietyjersey.org.je or call the Variety Office on 01534 856937.