New Bridlington Charity Receives £10k Donation From Scarborough Businessman

A Scarborough businessman has gifted £10,000 to new Bridlington charity, the Freeman 1st Foundation, to give a helping hand to talented young people living in Yorkshire’s coastal communities.

The foundation is named after famous lifeboatman Henry Freeman, the sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster who saved more than 300 lives at sea and an ancestor of F1F founder Lesley Jackson, née Freeman.

F1F provides financial and practical support to people aged up to 25 from Bridlington, Scarborough and the surrounding areas so they can develop their talents into careers. The trustees meet all the running costs to ensure donations are spent entirely on beneficiaries.

Glyn Simpson founded his Scarborough construction firm four decades ago and served for a few years on the Scarborough lifeboat with the RNLI.

Mr Simpson, said:

“The cause resonates with me because F1F gives a leg up to young people so they can make the most of their talents in sport and the arts. The more money spent locally, the better and I know the founder Lesley is an astute businesswoman who will spend it wisely. The history resonates with me as I was on the Scarborough lifeboat for a few years and Henry Freeman was a famous character of great importance to the institution who gave as much as he could for nothing.”

Beneficiaries to date include local golfing prospects Tommy Risker and Matthew Raybould. The foundation is also supporting a talented young dancer and promising young violinist in their fledgling theatrical and musical careers.

Mr Simpson added:

“Successful businesspeople have a responsibility to give time and money back to their local communities, especially for sport and the arts. We try to help youth sport and have sponsored the Scarborough Rugby Union Football Club for years. Stephen Joseph Theatre is important for Scarborough, premiering plays by Alan Ayckbourn that are shown in London and around the world.”

Lesley Jackson said:

“On behalf of the Freeman 1st Foundation, I would like to thank Glyn for his generous donation which will be spent entirely on empowering young people to achieve success. We hear so many stories of teenagers with a special gift for the arts, academia, business or sport who cannot follow their dreams because they lack the right support at the right time. Thanks to Glyn’s support, we will be able to give many more young people an opportunity.”

Speaking about the new charity Lesley said:

“We want to give a leg up to talented young people. We hear so many stories of teenagers with a special gift for the arts, academia, business or sport who cannot pursue their dreams because they lack the right support at the right time. Our east coast area is filled with talented young people with so much to offer. We want to help unlock opportunities for them. This fits in with the government’s levelling up agenda because we are promoting opportunity.”

F1F is working with schools, colleges and business to help identify people who would benefit from financial or practical support. Trustees include family members Leanne Brewis and Stuart Sanderson. The family will meet all of the running costs to ensure donations are spent entirely on beneficiaries.

Lesley Jackson said:

“I have a strong personal reason for launching the Freeman 1st Foundation. I have always remembered the small acts of charitable kindness I received when I became a widow at 23 after my husband, a fisherman, was lost at sea. I have since been very successful over the years and now I want to give something back by giving young people with talent a leg up to succeed as well.

“Henry Freeman was my great-great uncle. He was a strong, courageous and determined man who was very forward looking for his time. We want the Freeman 1st Foundation to help lift up talented young people and create such stories of success.”

To apply, donate or request more information, please visit www.f1f.org