news > 2010 > The Cyrenians Take to the Seas
The Cyrenians Take to the Seas
A North East sail training charity has reached out to some of the region’s most vulnerable people and taken a group of homeless people on the ‘Voyage of a Lifetime’, changing their lives in the process.
The Cyrenians teamed up with the Ocean Youth Trust North East (OYT NE) to take a group of individuals on a sailing trip described as the ‘Voyage of a Lifetime.’
The group were made up of nine male and female service users from The Cyrenians. They all had an interest in sailing and spent four days aboard the OYT NE yacht James Cook sailing up the coast, learning new skills and experiencing life at sea.
The trip, funded by the Community Foundation, was intended to increase the individuals’ self-confidence and give them an opportunity to discover their own potential.
Terry, a resident at The Cyrenians, felt so inspired by the voyage that he has now registered as a volunteer at OYT NE.He said: “The voyage was an unbelievable experience and I am so pleased I was able to take part – it is something that I will never forget. It was extremely hard work but there was a huge sense of satisfaction knowing you had done a full day’s hard graft.
“I could have easily spent more than the four days onboard and I am keen to keep involved in more sailing activities in the future. I registered to volunteer with the James Cook and I am thoroughly looking forward to it.”
Stephen Bell added,
“Actively promoting projects that encourage a high level of service user involvement is an essential part of the support The Cyrenians offer. The Ocean Youth Trust North East voyage is yet another example of our organisation exploring exciting new ways of developing our services.
The Cyrenians support a wide variety of people from all types of backgrounds and of all different ages, and we hope that together with the Ocean Youth Trust North East this project is an opportunity for groups of people who don’t normally mix, to develop an understanding of equality and to work together towards a common goal.” The group have shown a huge interest in sailing and since the voyage have visited the James Cook at the recent Tall Ships Races in Hartlepool.
