Building a Brighter Future.
In 2017 Alex Thomson was appointed Patron of Oarsome Chance, a unique charity which aims to bring about positive change for disadvantaged people between the ages of 9-19 in the Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant areas.
Through a combination of vocational skills training – including boat building, carpentry and canvas skills – as well as dry and water rowing activities, Oarsome Chance seeks to inspire, motivate and upskill young people who are in some way disengaged from mainstream education. Along the way, it is hoped that the charity’s young participants will find a passion in the activities they take part in, and begin to carve out a potential career path for themselves.
In November 2017, skipper Thomson officially opened Oarsome Chance’s new facility in St Vincent Sixth Form College, Gosport. He has since gone on to attend prize-giving ceremonies, meet some of the charity’s bright young prospects and offer advice and guidance as one of the world’s most talented offshore sailors. As a team, meanwhile, Alex Thomson Racing continues to provide materials to support the organisation’s social enterprise initiatives, as well as offering access to RIBS and equipment in order to enable the young people to get out on the water.
In less than two years, Oarsome Chance – with much-needed help from its partners – has worked with more than 1,500 children across the local community in a bid to help them connect to a brighter future. The organisation hopes to significantly increase that number in the years to come.
Find out more about Oarsome Chance HERE
