Surging Interest in Sail Training Charity

A huge swell of interest in a Northern sail training charity has given a large group of youngsters from Yorkshire the chance to learn new skills on a challenging offshore adventure.

Ocean Youth Trust North East (OYT NE) run sail training voyages for young people and adults, promoting the development of important life skills such as teamwork, responsibility and respect.

The popularity of these voyages has been steadily increasing, and this year Rotary clubs across Yorkshire have raised sponsorship for 24 North Yorkshire youngsters to take part in this exciting programme.

Those young people selected by the Rotary clubs will have the chance to take part in one of two voyages along the North East coast. They will each spend one week aboard the OYT NE yacht James Cook, travelling to Eyemouth in Scotland and returning to North Shields.

Whilst onboard James Cook, OYT NE’s highly skilled instructors will teach the youngsters how to sail and live safely at sea. The groups will have to pull together throughout the voyages, learning valuable lessons about the importance of working hard and being part of a team.

Graham Archer, until recently, the Rotary District 1040 Project Officer, had worked with OYT NE for eight years developing sailing interest with Rotary clubs across Yorkshire. He believed that opportunities such as those offered by OYT NE were particularly beneficial for Rotary sponsored young people.

He said: “It’s important to take young people out of their comfort zone occasionally and challenge them, so that they can grow into confident and able adults. The trips run by OYT NE help to develop problem solving abilities, increase self-belief and engender community thinking by encouraging young people to think of others.

“I’m glad to see that interest in these trips is building in the region and I hope that in future my successor Geoff Wain will be able to help many more youngsters take advantage of this excellent opportunity.”

Steve Lennon, General Manager of OYT NE, added: “It is our aim to help as many young people as possible to experience the excitement of learning new skills and make new friends for life through sail training.

“It’s important that young people have the chance to widen their horizons and sailing is a great way of doing this. It’s fantastic that Rotary Clubs across Yorkshire have seen such an enthusiastic uptake of their sponsored places. We’re looking forward to working with them in the future to offer even more young people from the region the chance to go on a voyage.”

OYT NE specialises in the personal development of young people through Adventure under Sail on their purpose built vessel James Cook. They work with young people between the ages of 12 to 25 helping them to escape the challenges they face at home to become part of a real team. The young people develop their life skills by using their sailing experience as a tool. It can build up their self esteem and develop their awareness of the needs of others. Most activities onboard James Cook can be cross referenced to the School curriculum.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland is an organisation of more than 55,000 men and women who, as members of over 1,850 Rotary clubs, volunteer their time, talents, professional skills and energy to improving the lives of people in their local communities and others around the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Ocean Youth Trust North East or would like to book a sailing trip, email Rachel at   or phone the office on 0191 257 1212.