The Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis is a hub of activity – and it could soon be getting a lot busier thanks to a new initiative spearheaded by Director Will Reed.

“People of all ages, walks of life and backgrounds come to the BBA”, he said.

“Many people come to us for our professional training, and some of our graduates go on to secure employment in the most prestigious boatyards in the country. There’s a real cachet to certification from the academy.

“Others are seeking to make drastic career changes, sometimes leaving high-powered jobs in finance and academia to become boat builders.

“For some, it’s simply a chance to follow a dream for the sheer joy of building wooden boats surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts and our expert tutors.”

Founded in 1997 by Naval Commander Tim Gedge, the academy has since produced a steady stream of more than 280 handcrafted boats using both traditional and modern techniques.

But this summer, the team are introducing a raft of new courses to help bring these vital skills to a wider range of people.

Will explained: “Since attaining charitable status in 2020, the academy has been able to really spread its wings and explore new ways to promote what we do.

“In addition to our twice yearly, 40-week full time boat building course, we are now offering students a more compact, six-week Build a Boat Course, which gives a taste of a broad range of skills while building a Joel White Shellback Dinghy.

“Our 12-week furniture making course has produced a stream of capable woodworkers who have worked in all aspects of the industry, and we are now running an improved course introducing some new techniques to give students a flavour of boat building.”

Alongside the new courses, the academy is also set to expand on its popular bursary scheme in an effort to maximise accessibility for potential students.

They’re particularly keen to dispel the stigma around women in the practical skills industries.

“The BBA bursary scheme is open to UK residents and aims to fund a generation of men and women boat builders and woodworkers, who would otherwise be unable to afford their training”, said Will.

Funded by the Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Charitable Foundation and the Valentine Trust, the latest bursaries are aimed at people from Dorset, offering up to 50 per cent off the academy’s 12- and 40-week programmes alongside taster days and short courses.

Will added: “Despite the current financial pressures on businesses and charities, we feel our outstanding reputation is helping us to make real headway.

“Our 40-week boat building course starting this month is almost full, and interest is growing in our other new courses, with students ranging from 17 to 75.

“When December comes around, another cohort of students will sail their newly built boats out into Lyme Harbour and begin their journeys as professional boat builders.

“It’s a joyous sight of new life being breathed into ancient traditions.”

• boatbuildingacademy.com

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