Glasgow Airport finds its sea legs with Ocean Youth Trust
Funding from Glasgow Airport's FlightPath Fund has helped a group of young people take to the high seas and learn a range of valuable skills with world leading youth work charity, the Ocean Youth Trust.
Archie Hunter, chair of the FlightPath Fund, donned his lifejacket to meet with up a group of young people returning from a seafaring voyage supported by the FlightPath Fund.
The group from the Y Sort It youth centre in Clydebank had just completed a five-day sailing trip around the Scottish coastline organised by the Ocean Youth Trust and sponsored by the FlightPath Fund.
More than £19,000 has been awarded by the FlightPath Fund in the last two years to support the Trust’s Adventure Under Sail project, which takes groups of young people aged between 14 and 18 on sailing trips around Scotland’s waters to help them develop valuable life skills.
Four other groups have also taken part in the voyages thanks to FlightPath funding, including pupils from Drumchapel High School and young people from Renfrew Children’s Home, a young carers’ group in East Dunbartonshire and the G15 Youth Project in Drumchapel.
Archie Hunter, who met the young people from Y Sort It as they arrived back on dry land at James Watt Dock in Greenock, said: “Ocean Youth Trust’s Adventure Under Sail programme is fantastic and offers young people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – one many of them would likely never normally experience.
“As well as offering adventure on the open seas while exploring Scotland’s waters, these voyages teach young people valuable safety and team-work life skills. They also learn a lot about themselves too, which is very important.
“I met with the Y Sort It group and each and every one of the young people involved absolutely loved the experience. It was gratifying to see first-hand FlightPath Fund support playing such a significant part in this project.”