A Falmouth-based sailing charity that helps injured veterans has become the proud new owner of a custom-built yacht tender thanks to a boat supplier and a high-street bank.

Turn to Starboard received the £8,500 rigid inflatable boat following a joint donation from Excel Boats in Sutton Coldfield and Santander Bank. Terry Wright, from Excel Boats, and Sophie Russell, from Santander, visited the charity recently and presented the Excel Voyager boat to Turn to Starboard founder, Shaun Pascoe.

The new boat will replace an older inflatable dinghy and will enable beneficiaries to be transported from the charity’s offices at Falmouth Marina to sail training boats moored in a nearby harbour.

Handing over the 3.9-metre powerboat, which is fitted with a Suzuki 20 horse-power engine, Mr Wright, said: “This is exactly the kind of charity we like to support with so many veterans learning new skills and starting new careers in the marine industry. My brother and father were both in the RAF and I was going to join at one point too, so we definitely have an affinity with the support the charity offers.”

Ms Russell, relationship manager at Santander, who donated £5000 towards the cost of the boat on behalf of the bank, added: “Helping to support such a worthwhile cause has been a pleasure. The work that Turn To Starboard does to help and encourage those who have given so much already is inspiring to our team in Falmouth and to Santander as a company. Santander is proud to support local charities and personally, it’s something I am grateful that we have been able to contribute towards.”

Turn to Starboard is run by a group of serving and retired Armed Forces personnel, civilian staff and volunteers who believe that sailing has a therapeutic and calming effect on participants. They help military personnel affected by operations to gain sailing qualifications to help start new careers anywhere in the world.

RAF Squadron Leader (retired) Shaun Pascoe said: “This incredible donation will not only allow us to transport more injured veterans in a safer and more efficient way, but will enable us to invest more money into helping those affected by military operations to gain new skills. We can’t thank both companies enough.”

On June 1, the charity set sail with a crew of injured veterans on a 2,000 mile expedition around the British Isles. The Turn to Starboard Round Britain Challenge 2016 includes 38 veterans, many with little or no sailing experience, aboard a 92-foot tall ship the Spirit of Falmouth. The voyage is expected to take eight weeks and is planned as a way to help participants gain new skills while highlighting the challenges some veterans face.

You can track follow the progress of the expedition via a live satellite tracker at turntostarboard.co.uk/round-britain-challenge-2016.