Why businesswoman Lesley Jackson has launched a charity to help young people

Lesley Jackson, a fisherman’s daughter from Bridlington, had to overcome tragedy at the age of 23 after her first husband was lost at sea.

The co-founder and co-owner of Hudson Contract has named the charity the Freeman 1st Foundation (F1F) in honour of her ancestor Henry Freeman, a famous lifeboatman and sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster who saved more than 300 lives at sea.

Ms Jackson said: “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.

“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.”

The foundation will provide financial and practical support to people aged up to 25 from Bridlington, Scarborough and the surrounding areas so they can develop their talents into careers.

Beneficiaries to date include golfing prospect Matthew Raybould from Bridlington who is being assisted with living expenses during his golf scholarship at university in the United States.

The foundation plans to work with schools, colleges and businesses to help identify people who would benefit from financial or practical support.

Trustees include family members Leanne Brewis and Stuart Sanderson. The family will meet all of the running costs to ensure donations are spent entirely on beneficiaries.

Ms Jackson said: “I have a strong personal reason for launching the Freeman 1st Foundation.

“I have always remembered the small acts of charitable kindness I received when I became a widow at 23 after my husband, a fisherman, was lost at sea.

“I have since been very successful over the years and now with the Freeman 1st Foundation I want to give something back by giving young people with talent a leg up to succeed as well.”

To apply, donate or request more information on the Freeman 1st Foundation, visit www.f1f.org

Hudson Contract was established in 1996 by Lesley and David Jackson.

The business has a turnover of £1.6bn.

It provides tax status and employment contract services to the construction industry and supplies more than 2,500 companies across England and Wales.

Prior to setting up Hudson Contract, Mr Jackson had a conventional groundworks company in the construction sector. He also had an employment agency based in Hull just for construction workers.

Mr Jackson said: “Mrs J’s contribution to the success of the business is not to be understated because I think every entrepreneur needs a person that they can bounce their ideas off, a person that they can trust, a person that understands the how and the why of the business.”

In September, Hudson Contract launched a new website, www.constructionapprenticeships.co.uk, to encourage young people and employers alike to consider apprenticeships.

“I know from my own experience that apprenticeships are the best way to get your first foot on the construction career ladder and whether you’re a 16-year-old school leaver or looking to retrain, we are here to guide you through the process and get your construction career started,” Mr Jackson said.

Survivor of lifeboat disaster

Henry Freeman was the sole survivor of the Whitby lifeboat disaster in 1861. A storm on February 9 that year led to the Whitby lifeboat capsizing.

The storm wrecked more than 200 ships on the East Coast. The Whitby lifeboat crew launched five times to rescue stricken vessels, but tragedy struck on their sixth launch.

Mr Freeman survived because he was wearing a new design of cork lifejacket.

He was awarded an RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) Silver Medal for courage shown on that day and later become the Whitby RNLI Coxswain for more than 20 years, helping to save over 300 lives in that time.

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