The ABP Southampton team with one of the Light the South Trail Lighthouses.
ABP Southampton is proud to announce it is a sponsor for Southampton Hospitals Charity Light the South Art Trail. The trail will be held over the summer and will see 40 8ft lighthouses dotted around Southampton and Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The trail is designed to encourage the community and visitors to explore the City and the Island during the summer holidays. The event will also raise vital funds for Southampton Children's Hospital.
The Port, one of the biggest employers in Southampton and a key driver of the Solent economy, and the City of Southampton have enjoyed a partnership spanning hundreds of years. ABP is pleased to be a partner of the trail. It is also a great chance to work with other organisations supporting the event and Southampton Hospitals Charity. The trail not only encourages the local community and visitors to get out and about but also involves local artists and community groups and includes a learning programme enabling local schools to decorate their own mini lighthouse and receive a learning pack to find out about the heritage of Southampton, Cowes, and the Solent.
Alastair Welch, ABP Southampton Regional Director, said: "We are proud to be a sponsor of the Light the South Art Trail in support of the Southampton Hospitals Charity. The trail is a great way to engage residents and visitors to Southampton and Cowes, encouraging them to get out and about in our local area. ABP is the Statutory Harbour Authority for the Solent, and part of this responsibility includes being the local Lighthouse Authority; we already have over 300 illuminated buoys and markers in the local waterways to support safe marine operations, and it is great to be able to add another lighthouse for the summer!"
Kate Saltrick, Head of Charitable Giving, Southampton Hospitals Charity, said: "We are excited to bring a fun, family-friendly art trail to Southampton and Cowes this summer, a first for Southampton Hospitals Charity. We are delighted to have ABP involved, particularly as the Lighthouse theme is so fitting for them. These unique and individually designed Lighthouses will take residents and visitors on a cultural tour of Southampton and Cowes while raising vital funds for Southampton Children's Hospital, which cares for 165,000 children across the South each year."
As part of the sponsorship, ABP Southampton will select a design for its lighthouse from thousands of submitted entries, making a difficult choice later this year.
ABP is proud to support community events. The Light the South trail in Southampton and Cowes forms part of a series of community trail events supported by ABP. These include Ipswich and Lowestoft. The trails are free and open to residents and visitors to explore the area during the school holidays while raising money for local charities.
