TAVISTOCK College students were recently featured on national TV, thanks to the school's flourishing partnership with the Trinity Sailing Trust.

The group of students were invited to take part in filming for the BBC's National Lottery programme in Brixham, and also had the opportunity to meet actor Larry Lamb, who presents Lottery grants to the lucky recipients of applications for funding.

John Collacott, director of personal development at Tavistock College, was asked to bring the students along for the filming due to the regular tall ships student expeditions he organises with Trinity Sailing Trust.

On the day, the trust was presented with £170,400 from the National Lottery by Larry Lamb. The money is being used to restore the trust's flag ship 'Leader' , a 105ft clinker-built trawler, built at Galmpton on the River Dart in 1892. Part of the work will include replacing the historic vessel's deck.

Mr Collacott said: 'Leader is an absolutely magnificent trawler, she's absolutely beautiful.

'She's the largest and oldest of the trust's four boats. She fished in the UK until 1907, then she was sold to Sweden, where she was until 1970.

'In 1985 she was moved to Scotland and in 1996 she was brought back to South Devon.

'For the filming we went out on Leader, we were filming putting up the sails etc — there was a considerable amount of filming done, but actually not much was shown on TV!'

Mr Collacott has been organising sailing expeditions through Trinity Trust since 2003, and has now notched up 33 trips for Tavistock College students.

'The young people gain a huge amount from learning traditional sailing skills, plus the residential element of the trips, and learning skills for life,' said Mr Collacott.