A past commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has completed a 2,250-mile sailing challenge along the British coastline and raised more than $106,000 to support young people’s mental health.

Jonathan Brewin’s Big Bear Voyagereturned to Hamble, near Southampton, on August 8 after a three-month journey around England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in aid of UK charity BBC Children in Need.

Also a former chairman of the Newport Bermuda Race, deputy chairman of Age Concern and chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board, Mr Brewin came up with the idea to mark his 70th birthday, after being inspired by a charity event completed by a British radio presenter.

He planned to visit 35 ports and host 35 community events, equalling his age, while he also picked a fundraising goal of £70,000 (about $94,000).

Between May 14 and August 8, Mr Brewin was joined by a 50-strong support crew, including wife Jackie and many of his best friends, as well as Pudsey Bear, the BBC Children in Need’s iconic mascot.

They ended up visiting 37 coastal communities on board Big Bear and organised more than 79 Pudsey Bear events to raise funds and vital awareness.

“The worst bit of sailing we had was on the penultimate day,” Mr Brewin said. “The rest of the time we were blessed with good weather.”

He said he was made to feel very humble by the number of donations, which came from all over the world — including from friends in Bermuda.

Mr Brewin added: “When we set off, we knew we were taking on a huge challenge, but we could never have imagined how much the journey would teach us.

“Meeting people and hearing first-hand about the challenges faced by children and families across the UK has been incredibly humbling.

“We are immensely proud of what the Big Bear team has achieved but, above all, we feel privileged to have played our small part in making a difference to children who need our support.”

A small crowd gathered, alongside BBC cameras, at the Universal Hamble Marina, near Southampton, as the team cruised towards the finish line.

Asked why he chose to support the charity, Mr Brewin said: “We were just blown away by the fact that so many kids have so many problems and also their family and friends.

“As well as doing events with Pudsey, we had the opportunity to meet people being supported by Children in Need.

“It was very scary hearing some of the stories and it brought you down to earth.”

In 2019, Mr Brewin raised more than $13,000 for Age Concern by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his son, Somers.

The sailing fundraising page will continue operating for the time being.

It can be accessed through JustGiving by searching for “Big Bear Sailing with Pudsey around the UK”, while Mr Brewin has not ruled out engaging in more charity work in the future.

He said: “We have exceeded our initial target and recognised Children in Need is desperately in need of as much funding as possible.

“We have decided as a team that we want to continue as long as we can. Any donations or support would be strongly welcome and appreciated.”