LIVERPOOL’S last family-owned shipping company, Bibby Line, is marking its bicentenary with a large charitable donation perfectly in the city’s seafaring tradition.

Jun 2 2007 by Haydon Wood, Liverpool Daily Post

It has teamed up with the youth charity Fairbridge to sponsor its tall ship, Spirit of Fairbridge, to the tune of £1m over five years.

This revives an old custom of Liverpool ship-owners giving disadvantaged youngsters the chance to go to sea. It is doubly appropriate as Spirit of Fairbridge was built in Liverpool as Spirit of Merseyside.

Previously, shipping families such as the Ismays (of White Star Line fame) and others bankrolled training sail ships such as Mersey, or donated heavily to cadet training vessels such as Conway and Indefatigable.

However, this was to an extent enlightened self-interest, as these boys would form a ready-made pool of labour for crewing ships. The Bibby investment is entirely altruistic.

Although based on the Clyde, Spirit of Liverpool is a replica of a Liverpool pilot schooner of the 1840s.

Without Bibby’s generosity, it was likely that Fairbridge would have been forced to abandon its sea-going programme.

Sir Michael Bibby, Bibby Line Group chairman, says: “As part of our bicentenary celebrations, Bibby Line Group have long planned to make a considerable charitable donation as a legacy gift.

“We’d been looking into the possibility of sponsoring a tall ship, then I heard that Fairbridge desperately needed help to keep its programme for disadvantaged youngsters going.

“It seemed sensible to put the two together. As our heritage lies in shipping, we are delighted to help Fairbridge, and Bibby employees can volunteer to crew on trips.

“I’m also keen that it will mean we see more of Spirit of Fairbridge in her old Liverpool home port more frequently because of our involvement.”

Many of Fairbridge’s urban-based programmes, helping to reintegrate young people back into society, are operated on board Spirit of Fairbridge.