Youth work sailing charity to pilot all-female voyage at sea
Youth work charity, Ocean Youth Trust Scotland, will run a series of all-female employability voyages at sea, thanks to vital funding aimed at getting vulnerable and disadvantage young women into work.
This is the first time that the Inverclyde-based charity, providing residential youth work on the water for young people aged between 12 and 25, has run voyages tailored specifically to all-female groups.
The funding has been awarded by the Tampon Tax Community Fund, which supports women and girls of all ages across the UK to build their skills, confidence and self-esteem.
OYT Scotland will run two five-day Employability Skills focused voyages for two groups of disadvantaged young women and girls from across Scotland. The aim of the project is to empower between 20-24 young females, developing their self-confidence, leadership skills, and equipping them with qualifications to help them realise their true potential and secure future training or employment opportunities both on land and at sea.
“These employability voyages will provide the perfect opportunity to promote the benefits of youth work at sea for all young people, while actively encouraging more young women and girls to consider pursuing a career in sailing,” says Yasmin Price, who is completing a Modern Apprenticeship at OYT Scotland and, as a result of her experiences sailing with the Trust, is committed to pursuing a career at sea. “It is our hope that by piloting this new project, we can continue to promote this programme to more groups of young women in future years and start the process of inspiring future generations of female sailors.”
Yasmin Price
“These employability voyages will provide the perfect opportunity to promote the benefits of youth work at sea for all young people, while actively encouraging more young women and girls to consider pursuing a career in sailing,” says Yasmin Price, who is completing a Modern Apprenticeship at OYT Scotland and, as a result of her experiences sailing with the Trust, is committed to pursuing a career at sea. “It is our hope that by piloting this new project, we can continue to promote this programme to more groups of young women in future years and start the process of inspiring future generations of female sailors.”
A spokesperson from Foundation Scotland comments: “This funding supports the groups on the ground that are making a huge difference to the lives of women and girls. We know there is huge demand out there for these services and are proud to help small organisations working in our community to access vital public funding, which otherwise they may miss out on.”
