About Us

Wetwheels Foundation

Registered charity in England and Wales (1148600) and Scotland (SC051304)

As Geoff, James and Sam arrive safely after their incredible journey, Donate towards the Finishing the Dream Appeal, helping provide 5,000 new life-changing experiences for people with profound and complex disabilities.

Our Vision:

To ensure everyone can access the water with a safe, barrier-free, enriching experience.

Mission Statement:

Wetwheels offers a unique opportunity for disabled and disadvantaged people of all ages - including those with multiple, profound and complex impairments - to access the water.

Central to our experience is active participation - helping to broaden aspirations, increase confidence and directly impact on health and wellbeing.

We continually innovate through new technologies, and improve our experience through the excellence of our teams and feedback from participants.

We ensure a sustainable operation through a range of income streams, funding and support.

By 2027, we aim to support 12,000 people every year to participate in a Wetwheels experience across the UK, with the widest reach and awareness possible.

A Wetwheels experience challenges self-perceptions, extends horizons and opens up new opportunities. We ensure full wheelchair access to the boat - including a ramp to the steering position and adapted steering controls.

All are active participants, rather than simply passengers, with the opportunity to steer the vessel and learn seamanship alongside peers, friends and families.

Our own research tells us more than 80 per cent of Wetwheels’ participants have never previously been on the open water - which is something we want to change. Wetwheels is an inspiring organisation where perceived barriers are reassessed, new skills are learned and new-found independence is discovered. Participants are able to have a single experience or return over time.

The Wetwheels journey

Wetwheels was conceived and founded by disabled yachtsman, Geoff Holt MBE. Our first boat, Wetwheels Solent, based in Portsmouth, made her debut in 2011. This was followed by Wetwheels Jersey in 2013, with Wetwheels Hamble launched in May 2016. In 2018 Wetwheels Yorkshire, based in Whitby and Wetwheels South East, located in Dover opened. Wetwheels South West launched in September 2020 based in Falmouth. The boat was supported by Sport England and we are now one of their strategic delivery partners for disability and inclusion. Edinburgh arrived in March 2023 and Torbay is our latest vessel having been delivered for 2024.

Each of our local Wetwheels Operators is a social enterprise, registered as a community interest company (CIC), or the local equivalent (as in Jersey). Our Operators gain the advantage of the support of the Wetwheels Foundation, a registered charity, and a proven, successful, sustainable operating model.

Our skippers are fully trained and commercially endorsed, and our volunteer crew receive our bespoke disability awareness in a maritime context training. All our boats are certified according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) Cat. 3 standards. Our commitment to safety and quality of service delivery has led the MCA (our regulator as the government agency responsible for safety at sea) to declare us as the 'subject matter experts on taking disabled people to sea in small boats'.

Read our latest Annual Report 2022.23 for our story over the past year, financial performance and vision for the future.

Our recently published strategy - 'Over the Horizon - An Invitation' - outlines our long-term plans. These include new boat locations and widening participation, as well as the support we need to make this vision a reality. Please email Neil Wilson for more details and to receive your copy.

Read our Environmental and Sustainability Policy, and our ongoing commitment wherever possible, to help protect and preserve our coastline.

Trustees

Paul Strzelecki

Paul Strzelecki is a marine and sailing industry veteran and has recently become a trustee of the Wetwheels Foundation.

Paul has held many positions including Chairman of Henri Lloyd the company founded by his Father Henri and co-owned with his brother. During that time he led sponsorships of numerous events like Cowes Week and America’s Cup and individuals like Sir Ben Ainslie and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

He was a Director of British Marine for many years including a stint as Chairman of National Boat Shows and brings many years of experience both in the U.K. and Internationally.

Laura Trapnell

Laura has recently joined our board of Trustees. She has volunteered for wetwheels Solent for the last ten years and describes herself as incompetent crew!
Her day job is as a Partner in the law firm Trethowans, where she deals with intellectual property and IT contracts.
Outside of work, when not on Wetwheels, Laura enjoys all things water related - cold water swimming, diving, SUP-ing and sailing.

Gemma Osgood

Gemma Osgood is a clinical negligence solicitor at Hugh James in Southampton. She has over 15 years’ worth of experience in this type of work and has worked with many disabled clients and their case managers over the years to help them get compensation for their injuries.

Gemma’s work means that she is able to make a difference to those individuals whose lives have been affected as a result of negligence, and is something that she finds extremely rewarding and enjoyable.

Gemma grew up on the Isle of Wight and has always had a passion for sailing and being on the water from a young age. She raced competitively for many years, and currently races a Folkboat with her husband, actively competing in various events across Europe. In 2019 Gemma finished 5^th in the Folkboat Gold Cup, and in 2011 she was awarded first lady helm in the XOD fleet at Cowes week, finishing 21^st out of 146 boats.

Trevor Phillips

Chair

Trevor Phillips is a corporate advisor. He assists entrepreneurs and company leaders with creating effective strategies and solutions for reaching organisational goals and to stimulate long-term prosperity.

Following a successful trading career in the City of London, over the last 20 years Trevor has advised a range of clients from high net worth individuals through to FTSE250 companies.

Trevor is a keen sailor and in addition to regular club sailing has also completed a number of offshore races.

Geoff Holt MBE DL

Founder, Trustee

Geoff was paralysed in a swimming accident in 1984 and uses a wheelchair. In 1995 he became the inaugural Chairman of RYA Sailability. In 2007 he became the first disabled person to sail single-handed around Great Britain. In 2009 he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean unassisted. He was awarded an MBE for “Services to Disabled Sailing” in 2010 and named ‘Yachtsman of the Year’ shortly after. He was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire in 2012. He is a Council member of the RNLI. He is patron and ambassador for several charities for people with disabilities.

Geoff has 20 years experience in marketing & PR working for international accountancy firms Deloitte & Coopers & Lybrand. He holds a degree in Antiques and Auctioneering. He is the author of "Walking on Water" and is a professional speaker. In 2011 he founded Wetwheels

Andy Fell

Vice President

Andy Fell is an independent disability and assistive technology consultant with almost 20 years extensive experience of all disabilities and age groups.

Andy has worked with a wide range of charitable organisations including Guide Dogs for the Blind – where he was Head of Assistive Technology; emergency services, blue chip companies and various government departments including Job Centre Plus.

Among current roles he is a Senior Associate Trainer for the British Dyslexia Association and a National Disability Awareness Trainer for RYA Sailability.

David Parkinson

Vice-Chair

David Parkinson is an established consultant, trainer and coach whose experience includes posts as charity chief executive and chair of multi-agency public committees. He has been working independently across commercial, public and voluntary sectors for the last 18 years.

David has arranged programmes of training and mentoring for 1,200 charity chief executives, involving commercial sponsors, and provided courses on leadership, personal effectiveness and presentation skills for the Met Police, Essex Probation Service and a supermarket graduate programme, among others.

He also provides commercial voiceovers, and has recorded several books for Audible.com.

About us