Jamie was brought up in a ‘Service’ family, therefore the military environment (Army) had always been a part of his early life and upbringing.  In the late 80’s, Jamie joined the Army Air Corps as a driver and served 3 years before he left.  Initially, he didn’t miss the environment , admitting that he was immature at the time.  However, he gradually realised that he missed and needed the sense of belonging, discipline, and sense of camaraderie that the service had given him, but which he had taken for granted.

Without that familiar sense of belonging, Jamie drifted and after losing his mother relatively soon after leaving the AAC, he became involved in significant and long-term substance abuse.  In 2015, Jamie lost his long-term partner which further exacerbated the spiral of drugs, homelessness (sofa surfing), and “loads of trouble” to feed his addiction: this inevitably led to a term in prison.  On release, Jamie was supported locally in Cornwall by a Drug Rehabilitation Agency (We Are with You Cornwall) and his probation officer who both recommended trying sailing with T2S.  The T2S CEO chatted with Jamie over a Zoom call arranged by his probation officer and invited Jamie to come and try us.  

At the start of May 22, Jamie was accommodated on one of our boats and offered further support through our links with SSAFA and our own T2S RBL Case Worker while he did some initial sail training.  Jamie then embarked on the return trip of the ‘Tudor Run,’ a 4-week T2S challenge sailing 25 veterans to London Tower Bridge from Falmouth and then 25 returning to Falmouth.  During this period, he continued with T2S closely supporting him on a 6-week period of detox: an incredible personal achievement by Jamie.

Jamie continues his sailing as volunteer crew on our yachts and tall ship Schooner and helping with boat maintenance tasks and their husbandry.  To date, Jamie has accrued well over 1000 sea miles now and has completed his RYA Competent Crew and Power Boat 1 and 2 qualifications: he is now gaining experience towards getting his Day Skipper: Jamie commented that he has gained more qualifications at T2S since leaving school over 30 years ago.  Jamie has a clear aim now to gain his Yachtmaster Ocean but also to help give back by volunteering his skills with T2S, given his experiences with mental health issues.

Subsequently, both his Link Support Worker and Probation Officer have been amazed at the progress that Jamie has made, and his probation officer has visited T2S twice now.

In discussing his story, Jamie’s comments: “T2S has been a dream come true.  It’s been for me a ‘life-saver’ as without my experiences at T2S, I would have continued to have felt a non-entity or would likely have ended up dead.  Its presented opportunities that I would never have thought possible and so it makes it that you really want it to work”

Jamie now has a purpose, valued friends, and colleagues, and with his expanding sailing experience, has a credibility and confidence that others can use as their inspiration.