Fishermen's daughter names new charity after Whitby lifeboat hero Henry Freeman

A fishermen’s daughter has named her new charity after Whitby lifeboat hero Henry Freeman, who was her great-great uncle.
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Lesley Jackson launched the charity, the Freeman 1st Foundation (F1F) to provide financial and practical support to people aged up to 25 from Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington, and the surrounding areas, so they can develop their talents into careers.

Freeman was the sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster.

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He was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal for the courage and determination he displayed that day, and later become the Whitby RNLI Coxswain for more than 20 years, helping to save more than 300 lives in that time.

Freeman 1st Foundation (F1F) Trustees Leanne Brewis, Lesley Jackson, Stuart Sanderson. The painting depicts former Whitby lifeboat coxswain and sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster, Henry Freeman.Freeman 1st Foundation (F1F) Trustees Leanne Brewis, Lesley Jackson, Stuart Sanderson. The painting depicts former Whitby lifeboat coxswain and sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster, Henry Freeman.
Freeman 1st Foundation (F1F) Trustees Leanne Brewis, Lesley Jackson, Stuart Sanderson. The painting depicts former Whitby lifeboat coxswain and sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster, Henry Freeman.

Lesley, who was widowed at 23 after her husband, a fisherman, was lost at sea, said of her great-great-uncle: “Henry Freeman was a strong, courageous and determined man who was very forward looking for his time.

"We want the Freeman 1st Foundation to help lift up talented young people and create such stories of success.

“We want to give a leg up to talented young people.

"We hear so many stories of teenagers with a special gift for the arts, academia, business or sport who cannot pursue their dreams because they lack the right support at the right time.

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"Our east coast area is filled with talented young people with so much to offer.

"We want to help unlock opportunities for them.

"This fits in with the government’s levelling up agenda because we are promoting opportunity.”