Disabled and able-bodied volunteers have completed an epic sailing from the island to Liverpool on board the tall ship Lord Nelson.

The voyage formed part the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s round-the-British Isles expedition, which began in Newcastle and headed north to Aberdeen before sailing south and through the Channel and around the Cornish peninsula before arriving in Douglas.

Fifteen disabled and able-bodied islanders were joined on the adventure by 12 Barclays employees from the Isle of Man and seven from Liverpool.

The members of the Barclays team raised the £800 needed for each of them to embark on the voyage through activities such as cake sales, car washes and bag packing at local supermarkets.

Barclays provided the £800 needed to fund their disabled and able-bodied buddies to take part in the adventure.

Participants were chosen by local charities including the Children’s Centre, Wooden Spoon Wheelchair Sports Society, Manx Blind Welfare Society and Sailing for the Disabled.

The JST’s ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious, are the only tall ships in the world that have been purpose built to enable people of all physical and sensory abilities to take an active role in sailing.

Setting sail from the island on Monday last week, the Lord Nelson arrived in Liverpool by the weekend.

Jubilee Sailing Trust has two elements to its mission - to overcome prejudices and misconceptions about disability and to enable people with a disability to show what they are really capable of.

Sailing on board the Lord Nelson or Tenacious allows crew members to experience the thrill and adventure of life aboard a tall ship and be involved in almost every activity on board, including taking the helm, setting sails and keeping watch - all regardless of physical ability and previous sailing knowledge.

Before it set sail from Douglas, the Lord Nelson was visited by Chief Minister Howard Quayle and DED Minister Laurence Skelly.