Thanks to CashBack for Communities funding, three more groups of young people set off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Rothesay Academy
On 28th May, it was Rothesay Academy’s turn to set sail on Alba Venturer. Sailing a total of 108 nautical miles, they set off from James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock, stopping off at Holy Loch before sailing down to Troon, back up to Lochranza on Arran and up the Kyles of Bute to Rhu. At the end of the week they headed back to Greenock with new friendships, skills and qualifications to take home.
Despite feeling nervous at the start of the week, the young people really came together as a team to complete all of the jobs required to sail such a large boat. All of the young people showed perseverance and resilience throughout the week. For many, the school environment can be a struggle, but being on the boat built their confidence and team work skills, their behaviour improved, and they became much more pro-active in their desire to learn and get involved.
Shetland CLD
Eight young people from Shetland made the journey down to Greenock on 28th May and spent 5 days exploring the waters of the Upper Clyde on board Alba Explorer. The young people threw themselves into the experience and worked hard to achieve the goals they set themselves. The best bit for many of them was the boat leaning over, visiting the beach, and having lots of fun along the way!
The young crew sailed almost 200 nautical miles, calling in at Lochranza, Port Ellen on Islay, and Camplbeltown before heading back to Greenock. The sea staff were extremely impressed by the group and said they were a fantastic group of young people who were a pleasure to spend the week with.
Midlothian CLD
Setting off from Greenock on 4th June, a group from Midlothian CLD enjoyed a week on board Alba Venturer. Sailing a total of 112 nautical miles, they visited Holy Loch, Lamlash, Tarbert and Rhu.
All of the group engaged with the tasks at hand, each finding something they really enjoyed and their eating and sleeping habits improved greatly as the week went on. Group leader Valerie noticed the difference in the young people by the end of the week;
“This is my third event with young people on the boat and I always see a difference. They have more confidence to go and try new things, they gain more self-awareness, and it makes them more independent with basic tasks.”
