Craigroyston kids sail the Clyde thanks to CashBack for Communities and Ocean Youth Trust Scotland
Eight young people from Edinburgh were given the opportunity to take part in an Ocean Youth Trust Scotland voyage funded with money from CashBack for Communities last week. The group set sail from Greenock on 31 August to spend five days exploring the waters of the Upper Clyde.
The group was made up of young people from Craigroyston Community High School and Castlebrae Community High School.
The Craigroyston group was particularly looking forward to their voyage – three of them recently completed the build of their coastal rowing skiff with Muirhouse Youth Development Group!
Whilst on board, the group found themselves fully responsible for sailing the 72ft yacht, Alba Explorer, including all the elements of day to day life on board the yacht from cleaning and cooking to hoisting and dropping sails on the foredeck.
Speaking to a very excited group at the end of the voyage, this is what they had to say:
“This trip will change lots of people’s lives, especially the people who thought they had nothing after school.”
“An enriched week full of beautiful moments and memories. Life changing and unforgettable.”
“I learned something new every day.”
“I learned so many things, some great ideas we can use with our skiff and confidence in myself and in meeting new people.”
Richard Haig, OYTS First Mate on board said, “It was amazing to see the change in the young people from the start of the week to the end. One of the girls in particular was so quiet at the start of the week. But, by the end I watched her grab a full sail bag from the pontoon and throw it over the guard rail onto the deck saying: “I’m stronger than I look!” – a real show of the confidence she had gained over the week!”
All members of the crew received the Royal Yachting Association’s Start Yachting Level 1 Award, the SQA’s Level 3 Speaking and Listening qualification. All of the young people have also put themselves forward to be Ocean Youth Trust Scotland volunteers and have asked to be put forward for OYT’s Young Leaders Development Programme.
Ocean Youth Trust Scotland (OYT Scotland), Scotland’s leading sail training organisation, is transforming more than 320 young people’s lives over two years thanks to an award from the “CashBack for Communities” scheme – the Scottish Government’s proceeds of crime fund.
Participants from disadvantaged backgrounds across Scotland will take part in five-day long sea voyages in some of the world’s best sailing waters. During the voyage, the novice sailors gain nationally accredited qualifications, and also improve their communication and problem-solving skills.
Nick Fleming, Chief Executive of OYT Scotland said: “Our voyages offer young people a truly unique and life changing opportunity. Over the course of a very intense week, living together in close proximity, they not only learn to sail, they learn leadership skills and how to work effectively as a team.
“This group have been a clear example of all that this programme aims to achieve in every participant. Our sea-staff, comprising both professionals and volunteers, understand how to get the best from each individual. This results in young people often being able to achieve things they never imagined they were capable of and changing their outlook on what the future could hold”.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Investing in our young people is always money well spent and I am delighted that the Scottish Government’s Cashback for Communities programme is providing this valuable funding for worthy projects across Scotland.
“This Government is committed to ensuring young people reach their full potential. The vast majority of them are a credit to society but we want to prevent the small minority getting involved in crime or antisocial behaviour in the first place.
“Scotland’s unique CashBack for Communities programme invests monies seized from criminals back into our communities. Since 2008, we’ve committed £75 million community initiatives right across the country, improving lives and helping Scotland prosper.”
Over the past fifty years, Greenock-based OYT Scotland has grown to become one of the leading sail training charities in the world. With two sail training vessels, Alba Explorer and Alba Venturer, OYT Scotland completed 57 voyages with 569 young people in 2014.
For more information about OYT Scotland go to www.oytscotland.org.uk
For more information on the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities scheme go to www.cashbackforcommunities.org