Oxford Sail Training Trust wins £25,000 Airbnb fund

The Oxford Sail Training Trust has been named one of the inaugural winners of Airbnb’s Best of British Fund, securing £25,000 to help make sailing more accessible for disabled adults and children.

The project is one of over 20 small businesses and enterprises to receive funding through the £1million initiative, which was launched in partnership with Visit Britain.

Jeremy Sharp, grant manager at the Oxford Sail Training Trust, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been recognised by Airbnb and to receive the Best of British funding.

“It will make an immediate and tangible difference to our local community, enabling us to purchase the accessible powerboat we need to open up the freedom of being on the water to many more people.

“We simply wouldn’t have been able to do this without this support, and we’re incredibly excited about what it will allow us to achieve in the future.”

The Best of British Fund supports hospitality and tourism experiences that showcase the unique character and traditions of the UK.

The Oxford Sail Training Trust was selected in the Nature and Outdoors category.

The funding will go towards the purchase of a Wheelyboat, a powerboat adapted for wheelchair users, and will also help the trust work towards a Royal Yachting Association Qualification.

Luke Impett, partnerships and external affairs senior manager for Airbnb UK, said: “Through the Best of British Fund, we’re proud to back the communities who keep these traditions alive and help them grow their visitor offering in a sustainable way.

“By attracting more guests, we can ensure tourism continues to support local jobs, independent businesses and the families at the heart of these destinations.

“This investment is about shining a spotlight on the people and places that make Britain unique – and helping more travellers experience that authenticity for themselves.”

The Oxford Sail Training Trust works to make watersports accessible to people of all ages and abilities through tailored, high-quality programmes.

Its approach focuses on building skills, confidence and teamwork while maintaining the highest standards of safety and instruction.

Airbnb’s Best of British Fund was launched last year to boost the UK’s struggling hospitality sector, which represents over half of all UK job losses from the past year.

Each winning initiative will now begin work bringing their ideas to life.

Airbnb started in San Fransico in 2007. It has more than 5 million hosts and welcomes more than 2 billion guests in almost every country across the globe every day.