A BURNLEY man is taking to the high seas in a tall ship to raise money for charity.

Jamie Dickinson works as a fund-raiser for the Mission to Seafarers, an Anglican Church society that supports seafarers in 300 ports worldwide, and has volunteered to take on the charity's toughest test - the Canaries Sailing Challenge.

As part of a team of around 25 he will help crew the Jubilee Sailing Trust's square-rigger Lord Nelson from Las Palmas around the Canary Isles.

Jamie will take turns at the helm, setting the sails and scrubbing the decks during the eight-day challenge.

The 30-year-old, now based in London, but who grew up in Manchester Road and whose parents Craig and Jean, still live in the town, said he was looking forward to the trip.

"The challenge is something that the charity runs every year. I thought it would be a great experience to take part," he said.

"I'm not a sailor and I don't come from a sailing family but I have always fancied having a go so this will fulfil that dream."

The University of Central Lancashire graduate, who used to work as an engineer for Burnley firm, Sermatech, knows he has got a lot to learn.

He said: "It is going to be hard work and having never done anything like this before it is going to be a steep learning curve.

"I will be doing everything from sorting the rigging out and helping to steer the ship to scrubbing the decks and cooking in the galley."

The former pupil of St Wilfrid's CofE High School, in Blackburn, who is due to marry girlfriend Anisa Niaz, 27, from Blackburn at the end of March, is hoping to raise £1,500 for the Missions to Seafarers.

He said: "It's a great challenge for a fantastic cause. It's amazing that we hear little in the news about the problems that many seafarers encounter: danger, isolation, poor living conditions and food and even piracy in some parts of the world.

"Seafarers move 90 per cent of the world's trade and bring us much of our food, yet they are a forgotten people. But the Mission is there for them."

The Mission hopes that the sponsored challenge will raise enough money to pay for a full-time port chaplain for a year.

If you would like to help Jamie raise £1,500 contact him at the Mission to Seafarers on 020 7248 5202.