LONG-RUNNING local engineering firm Malakoff has been confirmed as a major sponsor for next year’s Tall Ships.
The firm, which is heavily involved in marine engineering, will provide health and safety services and environmental management for the four-day event in July 2023.
Malakoff, which employs over 100 people and has operated its Lerwick shipyard without interruption since the 1850s, is providing the services entirely on an “in-kind” basis as one of the Lerwick visit’s host port associates.
Emma Miller of organisers Shetland Tall Ships Ltd said she was “really pleased that we have another well established and highly respected local firm overseeing this very important element of the event”.
She said Malakoff was ideally suited to the task given its lengthy track record of supplying high quality health and safety services to countless local businesses, and its extensive experience in maritime and harbour environments.
Miller said: “The safety of our visitors, staff, volunteers and visiting crew is paramount in all aspects of event planning, and we look forward to working with Malakoff to ensure everything goes smoothly next summer.”
Malakoff contracts manager Ryan Stevenson said the contract offered a training opportunity for younger staff to work alongside the company’s established HSQE team and be supported in the process of carrying out the extensive risk assessments and checks required for an event of this size.
The Tall Ships is expected to attract up to 10,000 people per day and, in addition to the ships’ visit, there will be a packed programme of events including concerts and family fun days.
We do a lot of work in the marine sector anyway, a lot of high-spec tenders that include health and safety and environmental management, so it makes sense for us to lend that experience to the Tall Ships,” Stevenson said.
“It is such a major event for our islands to be staging, and we are delighted to support the local community and economy, and to make sure that these types of jobs are available for folk to come back to Shetland.”
Lerwick will be a host port for the 2023 Tall Ships Races between 26-29 July next year. It is the third time it has hosted the fleet following previous visits in 1999 and 2011.