Aims:
Safe Anchor Trust Ltd
Registered Company 4700044
Registered Charity 1100071
Established in 1995, Safe Anchor Trust (SAT) had its origins in West Yorkshire Probation Service. In 1992, Les Moss, then Chief Probation Officer for Kirklees purchased a narrowboat, The Lady Rhodes. She was extensively refurbished by offenders on Community Service Orders from the courts, and in 1993 embarked on a programme of providing trips on the Calder & Hebble Navigation for community groups which for reasons such as illness, special needs or social exclusion had no access to the waterways. Ramps and a wheelchair lift had been fitted, and during her first two seasons carried increasing numbers of passengers. Her skippers were probation employees, but her crews were selected offenders who operated locks and acted as stewards. The project became an immediate success and an effective crime reduction scheme. Offenders were challenged by their contact with special needs groups, and passengers learned that many offenders are capable of demonstrating care and concern.
After two successful seasons the project's sustainability became threatened by reductions in probation budgets. Les Moss perceived that its future would be best secured by the setting up of a charitable trust which would be able to seek funding from other sources. He approached Mrs Jane Gummer MBE JP, then Chair of Batley & Dewsbury Magistrates' Courts, and together they established Safe Anchor Trust which purchased The Lady Rhodes, and operated her in partnership with probation. This continued until 2006, but continuing cutbacks caused the probation involvement to decline until sadly the association had to cease. Fortunately SAT had become well-established and respected, and continues the same service with an enhanced fleet of boats. Mrs Gummer died suddenly in 2010, but not before she had seen an increase in operation from one to four cruise boats, and passengers numbers to over 16,000 per year. Its continuing success is now overseen by of a Board of voluntary Trustees, and the boats are skippered and crewed by an amazing body of over 100 volunteers.
The Trust operates to these basic principles:
1. No charge is made for the outings it provides.
2. No payments are made to Trustees or Volunteers. All funds raised go to the costs of procuring, maintaining and operating its boats.
3. The Trust does not incur debt. No purchases are made or commitments entered until full funding has been acquired.
4. The Trust does not hire out its boats. Those seeking private hire should approach a commercial operator
This website has not been created to generate further bookings. We already operate to capacity and have to turn down requests every year. We are sorry that we cannot accept any more.