by Valentina Negrea.
It may be behind us, but I suspect I’m not the only one whose mind is still anchored at Aberdeen’s 2025 Tall Ships festival. With more than 400,000 people gathering for this celebration, for me the true magic came from the conversation with visitors and crew members from every corner of the world. It was a privilege to hear their stories and share in the excitement.
I am deeply grateful to the Tall Ships organisers and to The Gaudie team for trusting me with this opportunity. The whole experience has stayed with me, but one moment stood out above the rest: interviewing Mike Dixon, organiser of the Tall Ships festival in 1991 and 1997.
Mike is a remarkable individual whose life embodies dedication and service. After more than 20 years in the Merchant Navy, he ultimately earned his master’s certificate before moving to Aberdeen to work as a management and leadership training advisor. The role regularly exposed him to new development programmes, but the one which stood out most was a Management Training Voyage aboard the Malcolm Miller in October 1989, an opportunity he seized immediately.
A late-night conversation with the ship’s captain as it sailed across the English Channel proved pivotal. Mike learned that the course organiser, Sail Training International, was looking to onboard volunteers, especially those with a master’s certificate. From that moment, Mike committed himself wholeheartedly to the non-profit sail organisation. He completed multiple voyages, and two years later when the Tall Ships arrived in Aberdeen in 1991, Mike played an active role with the liaison team. He eventually became Scottish chairman of Sail Training International, and later a trustee.
His contributions were never driven by recognition or reward, but by a genuine desire to uplift others, helping young people discover resilience and teamwork. Mike’s story is one of humility and purpose, a testament to the profound impact of volunteering and a life spent empowering others with unwavering generosity and heart.
Mike’s interview is one I wrestled with for a long time. Every attempt to translate it on the page felt too small for the life he has lived. So rather than trying to summarise it all, I’ll let Mike do it for me.
What was it about that 3 a.m. conversation with the captain that made you decide to volunteer?
“I had no previous knowledge of the schooners beyond being vaguely aware of their existence. Certainly, no concept of how they were manned with a mix of full-time staff and volunteers. I had only been onboard for a few hours but was already impressed with the set-up, particularly as the volunteers were made very welcome and were certainly not seen as second class members of the crew.
“I had been away at sea for over 20 years, and volunteering for anything was just not on my radar. Now that I was permanently ashore, volunteering for ‘something’ seemed to make sense, not out of a kind of principle or duty, but looking back, I suppose it was more along the lines of ‘giving something back’. So here I was, at three in the morning where all the half-formed thoughts came together, volunteering, ships, sailing, youngsters, something I could actually do. And, as the saying goes: the rest is history!”
Looking back at all the volunteers you have worked with, what do you think is the key quality that drives people to dedicate their time to an organization like the STI?
“I’m sure there is a tiny majority of volunteers that hold the view “What’s in it for me?” or “It’ll look good on my CV”. But ignoring them, to me, the over-riding quality is that by volunteering, you are putting the needs of others first and foremost. How you achieve this varies enormously from the environment in which you find yourself and the people you are interacting with by using your knowledge to help individuals overcome their fears and insecurities.
“My other experience of volunteering is more pragmatic. You won’t get rich! In fact, you’ll be considerably poorer. Not once did I receive any remuneration for what I did. And perhaps that is fundamental to volunteering. If you are willing to take the financial hit, then you’ll be very sure that it’s going to make things worthwhile.”
What do you think is the most important lesson a young person can learn from a voyage on a tall ship?
Here, Mike gave me a list: self-worth, teamwork, vulnerability, determination, acceptability of the rough with the smooth, companionship and friendship.
If you could leave one message or piece of advice for the next generation of volunteers or young trainees, what would it be?
“Do it; maybe not while you are ‘growing up’, but that can work too. But make room in your life for some sort of volunteering. The rewards are truly inspiring but will be largely unrecognised. That doesn’t matter, it’s what you feel inside that counts. You gave up some part of your life to help others. That’s a special feeling which no-one can take away from you.”
Thank you, Mike, for your time and for the example you set! We all have something to learn from your life; whether we are part of the maritime world or not.
