Kayleigh Mellish

18 year old Kayleigh is from Cosham, an area just to the north of Portsmouth. She is currently studying at the Football Academy at the South Down's College, where she is learning coaching skills and health and fitness skills as well as studying and playing football.

She came to The Raymarine Lively Lady Project through The Meridian Trust Association. Before doing a Round the Island race (Isle of Wight) with them last year, Kayleigh had not done any sailing - but now she's hooked. As she said, "it's been great fun!"

Through working with The Raymarine Lively Lady Project, she also feels she's learnt more about working with many different people and discovered more about the world and different countries. It has also made her think of alternative ways forward in her life - perhaps even a career in sailing.

All the Young Adults have had to help with the fundraising to pay for the tickets, so Kayleigh's been hard at work. Supported by Portsmouth Football Club, she's been collecting money at the football stadium. Together, she and the other Young Adults are organising a fete, and she's also done loads of different, little, things to help raise some cash. In fact, everything from sponsored events to car boot sales! As someone who previously said she 'wasn't much good at all that kind of stuff', she feels all the work has made a real difference. It has helped to make her much more organised, better at managing money and also much better at working as part of a team - all vital skills to take forward in life.

Another important thing that Kayleigh has gained from The Raymarine Lively Lady Project is confidence. As she said, "Before the project my confidence wasn't very good around other people but, when the team building days started, I made some really close friends which was another confidence boost for me."

Kayleigh can't wait to get started on her leg of the trip. She's really looking forward to seeing dolphins and other wildlife as they're sailing, as well as the different landscapes in the countries they visit.

Like the rest of the team, she was very emotional watching Lively Lady leave Portsmouth last month, but it made them all feel really excited to see the project really get underway. For Kayleigh, it was particularly exciting as she knew she was the next one to go.