Having run The Pinmar Golf tournament for 27 years, Nick Entwisle retired from GYG in May 2019. Wanting to stay involved in the yachting community and be more hands-on in his charitable endeavours, Entwisle decided to use his experience and network to set up a new initiative, Yachting Gives Back, which enables yachts and yachting companies to help tackle issues of poverty and hunger in the Balearics.

“The yachting industry is surrounded by incredible luxury and it’s very easy to forget that people are struggling right on our doorstep,” Entwisle explains. “Employment in the Balearics is often seasonal and low-paid, making it hard for people to pay rent as well as put food on the table. Whether yacht crew or service businesses, we are fortunate to make our living from some of the wealthiest people on the planet and are therefore in a position where we can easily give something back to this beautiful island community we call home.”

In order to set up the initiative, Entwisle first contacted Suzie Black, founder of youth empowerment charity Fundación Shambhala, who had a list of suitable food charities. He then decided to focus on Asociación Tardor, a Palma-based soup kitchen serving 350 hot meals a day, and Mallorca Sense Fam, a food bank that assisted 4,757 families in 2018. The Yachting Gives Back team then started an extremely successful ‘food-raising campaign', asking yachts and companies in Palma to donate whatever they could to the cause.

“Yachting Gives Back is now so much more than a seasonal ‘food-raising’ campaign...”

“Yachting Gives Back is now so much more than a seasonal ‘food-raising’ campaign,” says Entwisle. “Superyachts are offering us lightly worn crew uniforms, bedding, towels, bric-a-brac, and the answer is ‘yes’ to everything. Mallorca Sense Fam has a conventional charity shop with proceeds converted to more food for its food bank. Unsurprisingly, our superyacht-quality knick-knacks sell fast. Other potential donors have asked us directly what we need and kindly gone shopping for sleeping bags, gloves, socks and scarves to help the island’s 200 or so homeless get through winter.”

Furthermore, Asociación Tardor recently identified a premises for a shelter and needs mattresses and bedding for 45 people. Thanks to the start of refit season, and the kind collaboration of several yachts as well as Bob the Bed and Darrmar Storage, Yachting Gives Back already have around 40 mattresses and piles of good quality towels and sheets. Often yacht linen is replaced after just one season, and is carefully looked after by professional crew, so has years of life left in it.

“At first, I don’t think Asociación Tardor and Mallorca Sense Fam quite knew what to make of us, since a lot of the stuff we collect can be a bit random,” Entwisle continues. “However, I think they now realise that it tends to be superyacht quality. I was delighted recently when we delivered a nearly-new and top-notch jamón slicer to Asociación Tardor Head Chef Gabriel. I am also told that even our miscellaneous foodstuffs, such as exotic tins of fruit or jars of preserves, go down a storm at Mallorca Sense Fam.”

Since STP donated a storage container in the shipyard as a drop-off, sorting and distribution point, Yachting Gives Back is now closer to the boats, more visible, and receiving many more donations. Entwisle reveals that he is also open to expanding the charity to other yachting hubs around the world. If you want to help, visit the Yachting Gives Back Facebook page to find out more.

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