Tall Ships Youth Trust is a youth development charity that helps young people aged 12-25 to redefine their horizons through transformational adventures at sea. The Clare Foundation is pleased to have partnered with this organisation two years running to give young people in Buckinghamshire the chance to experience this wonderful opportunity.
In 2022 the Tall Ships Youth Trust ran two voyages for young people from Buckinghamshire, experiencing disadvantage. They were referred by Lindengate, Youth Concern and Wycombe Youth Action.
From the feedback and results of the young people’s survey it sounds as if, although some were nervous at the beginning of the voyage, many challenges were overcome, new skills were learnt and the groups had fun. You can read a full report on the success of the programme here.
Here’s the feedback from some of the participants:
Bethany (22): “I was a little nervous before the voyage, but I was really excited to experience it! I loved when the sea got rough, and the boat was rocky and me and another crew member had to sweat the ropes, but we kept falling over and laughing about it. I loved it, I’ve been going through a lot of very difficult things right now and it has been great to be able to get away from it all.”
Kane (16): “I felt a bit 50/50 about going on the voyage. My best bit was sailing through the storm from Yarmouth back to Portsmouth as it was a different experience from any other sails that we done.”
Jordan (21): “I was nervous before coming on the voyage but also excited. My highlight was raising the main sail during very strong weather. Thank you for the opportunity, the staff have all
been amazing and I really appreciate the time I’ve spent here.”
Aaliyah (16): “The best bit for me was our talks before bedtime.”
Teddy (14): “I felt a bit nervous and unsure how it would go and whether I would enjoy it. The bake off and the man overboard drill were the best bits. It was fantabolously great.”
Here are the results of the young people’s survey
- 93% felt confident during the voyage to try new things.
- 93% learnt new terms onboard and were able to use them confidently.
- 86% felt they were given responsibility and leadership opportunities during their voyage.
- 71% feel more confident about being able to build relationships with others and use a shared space with others because of this trip.
- 79% said they feel more confident about asking for help with things they don’t understand as a result of this trip.
- 93% said they are more willing to try new things and problem solve following the trip.
- 71% said they feel more confident as a result of time spent on my trip.
- 50% feel more able to cope with the emotional demands of day-to-day life because of this trip.
- 86% said that during the trip they understood how to keep themselves and others safe and have learned how to manage more risky situations.
- 57% said they feel they have gained new skills from the trip that they can build into their normal day to day life.
