Fellowship Afloat – the Red Lighthouse Ship sailing school
An RYA sailing school aboard a red lightvessel
FACT – Fellowship Afloat Charitable Trust – provides outdoor adventure activities at Tollesbury on the Essex coast: a unique place for adventure, relaxation and exploring the environment, serving youth groups, schools, churches, community projects, uniformed groups and families.
The centrepiece is Trinity – Light Vessel 15, built for Trinity House in 1954, which served as a working lightship until 1987. Fellowship Afloat purchased her in 1988, and she was converted to a residential centre in 1990. Her exterior has changed very little but inside she has been transformed into an activity venue accommodating up to 48 guests. A recent upgrade enclosed the lattice tower, added a covered deck room, and increased accommodation space.
The organisation began in 1967 from the vision of a church youth group in Harlow. Following a local campaign to stop the development of the marshes, Fellowship Afloat became the only bidders to buy them – now custodians of a valuable environmental asset, with a growing emphasis on nature alongside adventure.
The distinctive red lightship moored at the end of the sea wall is one of the most recognisable sights in Tollesbury. FACT offers residential stays for groups, day activities, and RYA dinghy and powerboat training.