Trusts Form Alliance To Clean Up The Environment

18 August, 2004

Trusts Form Alliance To Clean Up The Environment

Trainees on board the Spirit of New Zealand will have the opportunity to contribute to the cleaning up of the environment with a new exciting joint venture between The Spirit of Adventure Trust and the newly-formed Sir Peter Blake Trust.

Under the banner of "Cleaning Up our Coastline" the forty teenage trainees - on the Spirit of New Zealand participating in the Spirit of Adventure Trust's regular ten-day youth development voyages - will be asked to give a little of their time ashore to collecting and identifying rubbish and pollution on beaches, coastline and waterways.

Spirit of Adventure CEO John Lister and Mark Orams, Executive Director of the Sir Peter Blake Trust will announce the launch of the two trusts' first project this Friday 20 August at 5.30pm on Princes Wharf in Auckland alongside Spirit of New Zealand.

To mark the occasion, two new, six metre cutters will be christened Sir Peter and Lady Pippa by Spirit Trustees Margaret Bendall, principal of Epson Girl's Grammer and author Tessa Duder.

"This joint venture between the two Trusts clearly demonstrates New Zealanders working together,' said Mark Orams,. "With better knowledge and understanding of the litter and debris that pollute our coastlines and oceans, we will be able to advocate change and litter reduction in our oceans, one of Sir Peter's greatest wishes."

The new cutters, built by Bladerunner Boats, Kumeu, will be carried by Spirit of New Zealand for the small boat sailing that forms part of the ship's ten-day programme. Painted black like their mother ship and proudly sporting the silver fern, they replace two aging whalers in use since the ship's commissioning in 1986.

"Thanks to a major grant from the New Zealand Community Trust and the ex-trainees of our own Voyagers Club, these new $30,000 vessels will enhance the Spirit of New Zealand's programme and represent all that Sir Peter valued about his life," said John Lister.

"We were delighted that Lady Blake agreed to have their names on the vessels and therefore be a tangible part of the Trust that Sir Peter held in such high regard."

ENDS

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