Faces of Mallorca highlights those people on the island that make it such a special place to live and Nick Entwisle, Founder of Yachting Gives Back, is one of those wonderful people who give their time, energy and passion to help others.
Those in the yachting industry will most likely know Nick Entwisle… if you haven’t spotted him in STP at his container HQ sifting through donations, his head will certainly have been spotted towering over a crowd with a smile on his face. Having worked in the yachting industry for over 30 years, Nick is best known for his work with Pinmar and, after retiring, realised that many people employed on superyachts were in a fortunate position and decided to call on his fellow yachties and contacts to help the local community in Mallorca.
As Nick states on the very top of the Yachting Gives Back website, “The yachting industry is surrounded by incredible luxury and it’s very easy to forget that people are struggling right on our doorstep!”
Initially started as a way to provide food to people in need, Yachting Gives Back has grown to support numerous charities in Mallorca and, during the pandemic, this help has been needed more than ever. By using his extensive network of connections in the yachting industry, Nick and his dedicated team have collected thousands of meals for distribution to people in need. These meals have been prepared in the galleys of some of the most luxurious superyachts by chefs that want to do what they can to give back.
“The support from the boats has been incredible. Once one yacht chef offered to start cooking for the homeless, others came forward and the result has been fantastic with healthy meals being prepared every week,” Nick tells me.
Yachting Gives Back supports the fabulous work carried out by Assocació Tardor, (soup kitchen, food bank and two homeless shelters), Mallorca Sense Fam (food bank and charity shop), Es Refugi (homeless shelter and soup kitchen), Can Gaza (Homeless shelter and charity shop), our friends at the JoyRon Foundation (helping children in need across Mallorca), Shambhala Foundation (supporting young people in need) and SOS Mamas (helping mothers with little or no income and their children) amongst others.
All of this hard work is carried out by a team of dedicated volunteers from different walks of life, most of whom have a background in yachting.
“We are as good as the people that help us and we have an amazing team who work with us to make it easier….and we have fun while we do it”, says Nick.
It is not just food that Yachting Gives Back help with, they also provide clothing, bedding, toys and donations to their supported charities. During the lockdown, more people became homeless due to lack of work and Nick and the team rose to this challenge by providing warm clothing and toiletries to the homeless people that were relocated to the local sports halls. Donations of bedding and a great deal else from superyachts have helped several homeless shelters to provide a warm, clean and safe place for those in need to sleep peacefully.
Aside from the charitable aspects of the foundation, it is also enormously sustainable. Unfortunately, the yachting industry is one of overconsumption and waste. What does the chief stew do with 50 pristine uniforms that are no longer required or bedding that now doesn’t match the decor of the master cabin at the end of the season? YGB HQ is there to gratefully receive these items and use them to help their charities.
Most of us shopping in our local supermarket will perhaps have seen a friendly-looking volunteer standing by the checkout with a trolley collecting food. This is all donated to local charities and the volunteers will always be grateful for a chat and to tell you about the work they do. Yachting Gives Back is very proud to run the monthly collection at the Bendinat Eroski on behalf of Tardor.
“Not all heroes wear capes” as the famous saying goes but, at Yachting Gives Back, Nick and the team of volunteers deserve to be labelled as such. They are heroes, as are the associations, charities, donors, and Mallorcan residents that all work together to help those that need our help – especially in these trying times.
How can you help?
Donate food when you see a collection trolley in your local supermarket. Donate food, which must be unopened and in date, clean clothing and bedding, toiletries, nappies, cleaning materials etc. The Yachting Gives Back container inside the STP shipyard is open to receive donations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30-10.30. If you cannot get to the yard, contact Nick and he or his team will arrange to collect.
Alternatively, donate directly to the Yachting Gives Back bank account:
Bankia: IBAN ES81 2038 3480 5160 0019 8061
With zero overheads, every Euro donated will be put to good use helping Mallorca’s people in need. Visitwww.yachtinggivesback.com to find out more or find them on Facebook.