A WIN FOR LEEUWIN [FREMANTLE BUSINESS AWARDS]

This weekend the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce held their annual Fremantle Business Award Ceremony for 2013. We are very proud to announce the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation was presented with an award in recognition of our Corporate Social Responsibility on the night. This award recognises organisations which implement policies or projects that positively impact on the community and generate outcomes that have a long term benefit. The Foundation's CEO Anne-Marie Archer said "it would not have been easy to be a judge for these Awards given the calibre of finalists featured on the night – but this only makes the Award all that more important to the Foundation."

Ms Archer said the Foundation's mission is to challenge and inspire young people to realise their personal potential and make a positive contribution to the wider community, through the unique medium of tall ship sailing. 

"The success of the Leeuwin youth development program is largely attributed to the young Western Australians willing to take on such a challenge by choice," Ms Archer said.

We are very proud and honoured to receive this award that could not have come about without the ongoing commitment and dedication of the Founder, Directors, Governors, staff and amazing volunteers. 

Being a not-for-profit, the Foundation is largely dependent on external support and must recognise our supporters, the Department of Communities, Lotterywest, the Australian Children’s Trust, Woodside, Frank Ledger Trust and many other organisations and individuals that offer ongoing financial support. On behalf of the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, we would like to say a big thank you to all of our community partners, financial sponsors and supporters. Without your support we would not be able to continue to challenge and inspire young people to realise their personal potential and make a positive contribution to the wider community through the unique medium of tall ship sailing. 

Here is a couple of paragraphs from our application we feel shows a snapshot of why Leeuwin was recognised for this award. Once again, thankyou to all of you who support us even in the smallest way. We couldn't have done it without you. 

At the end of the day, in many ways, our Foundation, with the help of each and every one of our volunteers, crew, board members, partners, sponsors and staff, is helping to change young people’s lives. The trainees we get on board at the Leeuwin come from all different backgrounds; rich, poor, young leaders, disengaged, shy, loud, still at school, some retired; however the Leeuwin voyage as said by Jon one of our 63 year old trainees: 

“…. The Leeuwin has the ability to strip away human falseness in our interactions with one another, and leave us at the end of a voyage with a fresh understanding of who we are, what we are capable of and what our weakness might be. The process and end result are a very refreshing assessment of ourselves.”

To witness the difference in character of a young person step on to the ship who may be a little shy; not confident in themself or their abilities, not responsive to other people or sometimes authority, complete a voyage and at the end step off completely changed, is a truly remarkable feeling. The Leeuwin constantly has parents of young people who have attended voyages writing to us in thanks or calling us to let us know how much of an impact our voyages have had on their child’s life. The Leeuwin voyage aims to make a positive difference to every youth that walks on board, and aims to provide each and every trainee and volunteer a positive experience that they will think back on fondly. 

 Leeuwin CEO Anne-Marie Archer with Marketing and Development Officer Doug OHalloran

Leeuwin CEO Anne-Marie Archer with Head of the Board of Directors Carol Shannon