CEO MONTHLY / SEPTEMBER 2026 11 Siobhan Sargeant: Charting a New Course for Blyth Tall Ship Blyth Tall Ship first began as a project developed to honour Captain William Smith, a lesser-known Blyth hero who discovered the Antarctic landmass in 1819. In the years since its launch, this ambitious project has evolved to reconnect the town of Blyth with its shipbuilding and seafaring heritage through training, education, and community engagement. Steered by CEO Siobhan Sargeant, the charity is now on a mission to create a thriving, inclusive community inspired and empowered by maritime heritage. We caught up with Siobhan to learn more about this mission, as she and her team are recognised in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2026. “Exploring our future, inspired by our past.” Siobhan Sargeant has stood at the helm of Blyth Tall Ship since February 2025, following the departure of Founder and CEO Clive Gray after 15 years of leadership. Bringing to the role a deep understanding of the power of community-driven organisations, Siobhan has joined Blyth Tall Ship with a drive to build on Clive’s legacy whilst guiding the charity through its next phase of growth. If someone had told Siobhan twenty years ago that she would one day become the CEO of a maritime heritage charity, she would almost certainly have laughed. Before taking on the role, the CEO had never sailed on a tall ship, or even a wooden boat. But Siobhan has upheld an unwavering passion for people throughout the course of her career, always pursuing and creating opportunities to make a meaningful difference. Siobhan has spent more than two decades working across the charity sector, both regionally and nationally, developing partnerships and creating strategies that have enabled organisations to grow their impact. She has been fortunate to work within hospices, healthcare, and national charities, delivering everything from major fundraising campaigns and commercial partnerships through to service development and organisational change. Each of these roles have taught Siobhan something different, shaping her into she leader she is today. She has discovered a passion for joining organisations during periods of growth and change, and developed a love for building things, whether that is creating new income generation models, developing innovative programmes, or bringing people together around a shared vision. Through this work, Siobhan has learned that there is something incredibly rewarding about seeing an idea develop into something that creates tangible impact for communities. This passion eventually led Siobhan to Blyth Tall Ship. “Joining Blyth Tall Ship almost two years ago felt, in many ways, like an unexpected chapter,” she shared. “Whilst I had extensive experience within the charity sector, heritage was entirely new territory for me. What I discovered very quickly was that our work isn’t simply about preserving a ship or safeguarding archives; it’s about people. It’s about creating opportunities, building confidence, improving wellbeing, and ensuring that our heritage remains accessible and relevant for future generations.” Over the next 12 months and beyond, Siobhan and her team will focus on building a sustainable future for Blyth Tall Ship while continuing to grow the organisation’s impact within its community. Foundations put in place over the past two years have allowed the charity to develop a more diverse range of income streams, and the next phase centres on strengthening those opportunities to ensure that Blyth Tall Ship remains resilient and able to continue delivering the meaningful programmes that have earned it recognition as North East England’s Leading Maritime Heritage Charity 2026. From earning her stripes in grassroots fundraising to developing and delivering million-pound partnerships, every step of Siobhan’s journey has shaped the leader into who she is today. Throughout it all, the CEO has always strived to keep people at the heart of her work, staying true to her identity and remaining accountable as she continues on her mission to create meaningful impact across communities. For her passion, drive, and unwavering dedication, Siobhan Sargeant has been named North East England’s Most Influential CEO 2026 in the field of Community Impact Leadership. “I feel incredibly privileged that my career has brought me to Blyth Tall Ship at such an exciting point in its journey,” Siobhan reflected. “We have ambitious plans for the future, and I’m continually inspired by the passion of our staff, volunteers, trustees, and supports, who make our work possible.” She continued, “Twenty years ago, I couldn’t have predicted that I’d be standing on the deck of a 112-year-old Tall Ship talking about heritage and social impact. Looking back, however, I can see that every step of my journey has brought me here. Perhaps it wasn’t the plan after all, but it was exactly where I was meant to be.” Contact: Siobhan Sargeant Company: Blyth Tall Ship Web Address: www.blythtallship.co.uk AIM-Jul26301
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