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Charity launches Powerboat School for North East Youth

Ocean Youth Trust North, the leading youth development and sail training charity in Northern England, today unveiled a new £6,000 scheme providing personal development opportunities to young people in the North East through powerboating.

The charity has received funding worth £6,000 from Sported, a London 2012 Olympics legacy programme, and The Prince’s Charitable Foundation, and has used it to purchase a 5.2 metre rib powerboat and establish subsidised training courses for young people aged 14-20.

Steve Lennon, managing director of OYT North, said: “We’ve been using off-shore sailing as a means of teaching valuable life changing skills to young people for almost 30 years.

Adding a powerboat to our fleet means we can work with more young people over shorter durations and provide an exciting introduction to personal development through sail training.“

OYT North celebrated the official launch of the powerboat with young people from Escape Interventions – a South Shields youth work programme – taking it on its maiden voyage along the River Tyne, from Newcastle City Marina to the mouth of the Tyne.

OYT North was established in 1987 and over the past three decades more than 11,000 young people have experienced Adventure Under Sail by joining the crew of the trust’s 70-foot ocean sailing yacht James Cook.

“Taking control of a large yacht and living for days at sea teaches powerful life skills and values including leadership, teamwork, communication and collective responsibility. Many young people come to us having never been to sea and return a profoundly changed individual,” added Steve Lennon.

The funding boost included donations of £4,000 from Sported and £2,000 from the The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation (The Prince’s Charity) and made possible the purchase of the 50 horsepower, 5.2 metre Narwahl rib powerboat.

The powerboating courses will be run at OYT North’s sailing school, OYT North Training, for youth groups, schools, community organisations and those working in the youth development field.

“A powerboating qualification can benefit any young person seeking to work in the Marine industries, Armed Forces (Royal Navy), Emergency Services and Off-Shore in Windfarms, oil, gas and renewable energy sectors,” said Steve Lennon.

“It is also something different, out of the ordinary, and shows that a young person has the get-up-and-go to take on a challenge with a view to developing themselves.”

For more about Powerboat Training with OYT North email: office@oytnorth.org.uk or call: 0191 257 1212.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matthew Moore .