Martin Chapman, of Westfield Road, Bishop's Stortford, Herts, writes: The saddest thing I've read in a long time is the potential demise of the Egremont ferry. There can't have been many more wonderful life-changing experiences for hundreds of youngsters from deprived city circumstances. Some time ago I decided to make a moderate donation in aid of its maintenance, but the relationship between the Egremont Trust and the Island Cruising Club became too confusing and it was difficult be sure how any money would be used, and so I gave up the idea. Granted, £800,000 sounds like a lot of money to most of us, but wouldn't it wonderful if a few bankers and top executives who have received annual bonuses of that sort magnitude were to combine in the realisation of how much good some of their inessential windfalls could do in saving the unique facility of the Egremont for the young people of the future? If a group of them will get behind the trust in time, fund it and monitor its management, I'm sure that many of us ­ordinary mortals would also contribute. I just hope that there's ­possibly such a group with Salcombe or Kingsbridge ­estuary connections reading this who have seen the kids sailing dinghies who otherwise know only the streets.