Plymouth Founder partners

Business leaders in Plymouth have come together to form the Mayflower 400 Plymouth Founders Club to help realise the opportunities that this significant anniversary will bring for the city and the wider region.

Members of the Founders Club include: James Brent, Akkeron Group; Chris Gates, Princess Yachts; Gareth Kagan, Womble Bond Dickinson; Matthew Reed, British Land; and John Napton, Brittany Ferries.

Adrian Vinken, Chair of the Mayflower 400 National Compact, said: “Mayflower 400 provides an exceptional opportunity for Plymouth to show the world all that it has to offer and transform the way it’s perceived nationally and internationally.  But the city’s ability to take full advantage of these opportunities in 2020 will depend on how much support and focus we are collectively able to put into it.

“In coming together and demonstrating their commitment, these businesses are leading the way towards unlocking Plymouth’s great potential.  We would encourage and welcome other business leaders to also demonstrate their commitment to the city by getting in touch and joining us.”

We would also like to thank our local delivery partners and sponsors in Plymouth, which are listed here

If you would like to enquire about sponsorship and becoming a partner in the Mayflower 400 commemorations, please email Sarah Walters

Our Sponsorship and Commercial Opportunities can be viewed here

Our Website marketing opportunities can be viewed here

  • Akkeron

    Akkeron are one of the Mayflower 400 Plymouth Founders Club, and have a significant presence in Plymouth.

    The investment group's portfolio covers hotels, leisure, regeneration, sport and retail including:

    • Plymouth Pavilions
    • Plymouth Argyle Football Club
    • Suite Hospitality
    • Saltrock Surfwear

    Chairman and chief executive James Brent said: “Mayflower 400 is absolutely about recognising an important event in our history but it is also about building a legacy for our children. For us, this will involve significant investment in the built environment, particularly in and around Home Park, but just as importantly we will use sport to engage with our community and support them to live fulfilling and healthy lives.” 

     

    More info
    Akkeron website
  • Brittany Ferries

    Founded in 1972 by proud Breton Alexis Gourvennec and a group of fellow Breton farmers wanting to export their cauliflowers and artichokes to the UK, Brittany Ferries is now the leading maritime carrier on the western and central Channel.

    It is one of the Mayflower 400 Plymouth Founders Club, where the firm has operated ferries since the 1970s.

    John Napton, director and company secretary at Brittany Ferries, drew parallels between the historic event and his company’s own history: “In the early 1970s our founders turned to the sea to explore a new and exciting future, just as the pilgrims did on Mayflower nearly 400 years ago. Today the links between France and the UK have never been stronger and Roscoff to Plymouth is at the heart of Brittany Ferries’ operations. We look forward to celebrating another great seafaring adventure that began with a great city, an iconic ship and a dream to link distant lands and embrace new opportunities.”

    More info
    https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk
  • Theatre Royal Plymouth

    The Theatre Royal Plymouth is the largest and best-attended regional producing theatre in the UK and the leading promoter of theatre in the South West.

    As a partner in the Mayflower 400 Founders Club, it is a key supporter of the city's cultural profile and promoter of the arts in the region.

    More info
    Theatre Royal Plymouth
  • Plymouth City Council

    Plymouth City Council is one of the Mayflower 400 Founders Club, and will play a high profile role in the cultural and events programme for 2020.

    The council will be prominent in all facets of the commemorations and the build-up. It will be instrumental in implementing Mayflower's far-reaching legacy for future generations in the city.

    More info
    Plymouth City Council
  • British Land

    British Land has committed more than £50 million to developing Plymouth's retail and leisure offer through its Drakes Circus Leisure scheme.

    The company is one of the Mayflower 400 Plymouth Founders Club members.

    Matthew Reed, head of retail asset management at British Land, said: “Both Plymouth and the Mayflower have an incredible legacy but for us. Mayflower 400 is about celebrating the future of Plymouth. We have invested in this crucial part of the South West through our Drake Circus scheme which has provided the local and wider communities with a place to work and enjoy.

    “By 2020 we’ll have further enhanced the retail and leisure offer in Plymouth through our £53 million investment in Drakes Circus Leisure providing even more reasons to live in and visit Plymouth, as we continue to support the city.”

    More info
    British Land
  • Princess Yachts

    Princess Yachts is one of the Mayflower 400 Plymouth Founders Club, reflecting its commitment to a city which has been its base since its inception in 1965.

    It is a leading British luxury yacht manufacturer with meticulous attention to detail, delivering unforgettable experiences across the globe.

    Managing director Chris Gates, emphasised the city’s importance to his business: “At Princess Yachts we celebrate our origins. With ‘crafted in Plymouth, England’ incorporated into our branding we value the importance that our customers around the world place on Plymouth.

    “It is an iconic location, and the Mayflower is symbolic and inseparable from our identity in the South West. We are a marvellous beacon of manufacturing, entirely designing and building our yachts with 2600 employees within a 10-mile radius of Plymouth, to universal acclaim. This project allows us to take a great piece of history and reinvent the significance of our Plymouth being the original.”

    More info
    Princess Yachts
  • Sutton Habour Holdings

    Sutton Habour Holdings is committed to helping regenerate Plymouth to make it a better place to work and play, and that reflects in its membership of the Mayflower 400 Plymouth Founders Club.

    The firm is regenerating Plymouth and transforming the South West's fishing infrastructure through marina and fishery.

    More info
    Sutton Harbour Holdings
  • Pennon Group

    Pennon Group Plc is an environmental utility infrastructure company at the top end of the FTSE 250 which owns South West Water Limited and Viridor Limited, and is one of the Mayflower 400 Founders Club.

    As part of its commitment to the region, its ambitious business plan for 2020-25 includes a pledge that South West Water will deliver lower bills, improved service, better environmental protection and a stake and greater say in the company for customers, with an enhanced opportunity for extra rewards should South West Water beat its targets.

    More info
    Pennon Group
  • ProMare

    ProMare is building the first full size autonomous unmanned research ship, Mayflower.

    The vessel will take the same 3,220-mile route the original Mayflower used 400 years ago.

    It will use state-of-the-art hybrid wind, solar and diesel propulsion systems for the journey, and will also gather data about the condition of the ocean.

    More info
    ProMare
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