Brewin’s Voyage Raises $96,000 For Charity
Jonathan Brewin has completed a three-month sailing charity voyage around the United Kingdom aboard Big Bear, raising more than £71,000 [$96,163] for BBC Children in Need.
Brewin and his crew departed Hamble in May 2026 aboard the J/160 yacht, accompanied by the charity’s Pudsey Bear mascot. The voyage covered approximately 2,200 nautical miles and included visits to communities in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The campaign’s JustGiving page showed donations of more than £71,000 [$96,163] in addition to almost £9,000 in Gift Aid, as of August 18.
Brewin has longstanding connections to Bermuda’s sailing community. He is a former commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and served as chairman of the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race. The official Newport Bermuda Race website previously identified him as the event chairman and a past RBYC commodore.
In an update posted on August 8th they said, “Big Bear left Premier Universal Marina on May 14 and today she is back home on the River Hamble, Southampton.
“The Big Bear Voyage 2026 has sailed 2,250 miles.
“We’ve visited 37 places in all four countries of the UK and held 79 events with our superstar crewmember Pudsey Bear to spread awareness of BBC Children in Need.
“Our tour of the UK by sea took in three capitals including London, Belfast and Edinburgh; major cities and towns such as Weymouth, Falmouth, Caernarfon, Stornoway, Peterhead, Scarborough, Grimsby, Lowestoft, Ipswich, Ramsgate and Brighton.
“And let’s not forget the smaller and remoter places from the Isles of Scilly to Glenarm, from Campbeltown to Scrabster and Wick.
“Without exception, Pudsey Bear and his Big Bear Voyage 2026 crew-mates led by skipper Jonathan Brewin have met kindness and extraordinary acts of generosity.
“We’ve met some of those whose lives have been given a vital helping hand by BBC Children in Need. Those for whom mental health is an unwelcome presence in their lives have thanked us for talking about it.
“Mental health is the core message of this year’s BBC Children in Need appeal. Too often it is hidden. Look harder and listen better-this is something we can all do.
“It is exactly what the Big Bear Voyage 2026 will do going forward. And go forward we will. There’s more to come from Pudsey and his crew!”
