Landlubbers learning the ropes
Read complete newsletter with images here
Activities in 2024
This season, between April and August, Blue Spirit reached almost 60 young people in seven different activities. This represents a 20% increase in participants and activities from last year. We could not do this without your help – so THANK YOU for your continuing support.
Here is what we delivered this year ...
An activity day at Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club (DRSC) where a group of 13 young people from Projects4Change tried dinghy sailing and paddleboarding
Level 1 sailing certificate completed by two young people at DRSC over two days
A weekend voyage with Ocean Youth Trust North (OYTN) on board the James Cook for a joint group from Projects4Change and Patchwork
Two weekend voyages with Ocean Youth Trust North (OYTN) on board the James Cook for Young Women’s Outreach Project
A 5-day voyage with Cirdan Sailing Trust for Projects4Change and Patchwork
A 5-day voyage with Cirdan Sailing Trust for N.E.S.T.
This season’s young crew members all live in the north east of England, in some of the most deprived areas of the country. Some are also members of the forced migrant community (from refugee / asylum seeker families).
The majority were members of groups we also worked with last year: Projects4Change and Patchwork and North East Solidarity and Teaching (NEST), which works with members of the forced migrant community; but we also made a new connection with a group that we hope to do a lot more with in the future: Young Women’s Outreach Project, based in Gateshead.
A planned activity day for a group of young people from Carers Trust Tyne & Wear at DRSC could not go ahead because of bad weather but we hope to be able to roll that out either in October or next season
Our continuing impact
The voices of participants and those close to them speak for themselves. After each voyage or activity, our young sailors filled in feedback forms and left us comments like:
"Can’t believe I’ve steered down the Tyne River, wish I had told my Mam so she could have come down and seen me."
"Shouting heave actually really helps, its like you’re getting anger out and you can just shout as loud as you want (whilst tailing rope)."
"It’s weird but nice eating round a table like this, most of us just eat in our rooms."
"Its class this, I would have never thought sailing could be so good. Much better than being at home."
"I liked the views and how everything was scheduled.. Too many good parts to pick a favourite."
"I liked how we were working as a team."
"Best bits: Sitting on the front – wet in waves. Driving the boat. Meeting staff. How good it went."
We also received feedback from the young people’s support staff. Here is a small selection:
Rhoda Morrow, Mental Health Development Worker, Young Women's Outreach Project, on their weekend voyage with OYTN in June:
""A huge thank you to all the crew who were with us at the weekend. It made a massive difference to all our young people that they were so well understood and no one felt judged for anything. We felt like the crew just rolled with whatever complications the young people had, giving a greater sense of accomplishment for all involved."
"There have been really positive stories from the young people we have seen today, telling everyone who will listen what they were up to. Parents have also seen a change already."
Karl Gilbert, Patchwork support worker, on their weekend voyage with OYTN in May:
"From the sail it’s easy to identify young people who took a lot from it. For example, one of the young people beforehand had been getting in trouble with taking family money and trying to buy cars.
"On the trip he opened up about these things and was able to consider some consequences that can come from that. Now they’re home they seemed to have calmed down slightly but with more support from the project can change their decision making.
"As put by the skipper in his final debrief, whether the young people enjoyed the trip or not, finishing is very important. Getting through the challenge of trying something completely different whilst learning to work, live, and understand strangers and friends in different circumstances like spending 48 or more hours with people can be really different to seeing them an hour a day.
"This is something that directly links to lived lives, how we as people go about managing ourselves and the people we interact with."
"Finally, the relationships built and memories made are ones that stick with the young people, the difference of the whole group on the drive home compared to when they first met was astonishing, they were like a family who knew all the small quirks of each other’s personalities."
Reinforcing resilience - one young person's journey
We really appreciate it when participating projects and sail training organisations let us have feedback from the voyages and access to photos. With this feedback we would not be able to let you our supporters know what impact these experiences have on the young people who take part.
We are particularly grateful to Kelly Coates at Projects4Change who has now given us two case studies about individual young people that she knows well.
Here is one of them:
Sara (not her real name) is nearly 15 years old, she has an older brother with additional needs and lives half her time between each parent's homes. Sara has few friends although she is very likeable, she has experienced hostility in friendship groups in the past, which makes her wary of people.
One parent is sick and the other is the full-time carer of her brother. Educational achievement and career plans are not priorities and seem almost out of reach to many in her family. Sara is streetwise, having seen a lot in her young years – crime is high in her area and drug taking and selling is a normal part of growing up in the streets near her home.
The experiences with Blue Spirit Sailing have opened up a whole new world for her. Having undertaken three sails to date, Sara gained her RYA Level 1 introduction to sailing in April. Sara has proven to be one of the most resilient young people, quick to pick up skills and supportive of others, with the positive effects lasting between sails in a newfound interest in pursuing a career in sailing.
Learning the ropes (in so many ways)
Although, the feedback we get from our partners is indispensable, nothing beats experiencing something for yourself.
This is one of the reasons our Blue Spirit founder and chair of trustees, Solen Lees, embarked on a 5-day voyage with an all-female group of young people and project leaders from Projects4Change and Patchork this summer. The voyage was on board Faramir, Cirdan Trust’s largest vessel, sailing from Hartlepool.
Solen was humbled by the patience and sense of humour of the crew – Davide, Daithí and Mark – even when things git urgent and potentially stressful; and she felt inspired by the warmth and humour, good grace, patience and empathy of the youth workers accompanying the young people.
The biggest take away for her, though, was witnessing young people stepping way out of their comfort zones, their joy at new experiences, and the transformative power of team spirit.
You can read Solen’s reflections from this experience here.
Family & friends day sail
A couple of weeks after this experience, Solen took to the water once again with some friends and family members for a taster day sail.
This was courtesy the Cirdan Sailing Trust and was a wonderful opportunity to meet a couple more Cirdan crew members – Roo (skipper) and Dinnie (Bosun) and once again taste the exhilaration of wind-powered travel and teamwork. It was also a fabulous opportunity for our three youngest board members – Amber, Ira and Lily – to meet and get to know each other, and to gain a visceral knowledge of some of what happens on board Faramir.
Thank you to the Cirdan Sailing Trust!
An evening with John Hegley
Blue Spirit presents: New and Selected Potatoes - an evening with John Hegley.
Come join us for an unforgettable evening with the legendary poet and performer John Hegley at Cullercoats Watch House at 7.30 pm on Saturday 30th November.
You may already know that John Hegley has captivated and devastated audiences all over the country, in theatres and festivals, and with lots of appearances on radio and television.
This is a performance drawing from a back catalogue of poems, prose and potatoes, along with his most recent tales and drawings from the Edinburgh Fringe show 2024. Singing and joining-in optional, emotional participation quite likely. The show is designed for adults but could be of interest to the odd nine-year-old.
During the evening, there will also be an exciting raffle with mystery prizes. Get your tickets here!
Why is John supporting Blue Spirit?
“At the time of my own first (and most severe) mental health disturbance, I was aware that I needed some form of what one might call spiriting away. This for me was provided by tai chi. I have long thought that getting out in the elements would be an effective avenue for others with such issues, in terms of giving a nudge, a shove, an uplift. Blue Spirit can help here.”
Art for Blue Spirit
We are very honoured to be the recipients of generous donations of four amazing works of arts by two artists.
Bidding is now open! You can see and bid for all the works here. Remember that if you win the bidding, not only will you become the proud owner of one of these lovely pieces, but you will be supporting a young person to have a health-enhancing and possibly life-changing experience on the waves.
The auction closing date is 1st November and winners will be announced on 3rd November.
You can read bios of the wonderful artists who are supporting us – Bernard Quinn and Frank Kiely - here.
Why are they supporting Blue Spirit?
Frank Kiely says: “Growing up is hard work and life can throw all sorts of challenges at us. It’s great to know there are people there to help you through the ups and downs, especially as a young person.”
Bernard Quinn says:
"The data around numbers and impacts of mental ill health is truly frightening. I know, I am one of those statistics. And it is getting worse, especially amongst young adults. I also know, from my previous work with young adults, how outdoor adventure-based activities, carefully programmed, can and do literally transform young adult lives, and I have seen the positive impacts stay with that person for years.
"Blue Spirit is such an important charity. It works in a field that is often not understood and mostly under-resourced. That is why I am happy to help by donating my paintings.”
We’re hiring!
And finally … we had some wonderful news earlier this year about a funding bid submitted to the Crucible Foundation. We’ve been awarded enough money to allow us to take on a professional fundraiser and communicator to support us for a few hours a week for the next three years.
This will be a freelance position that we are looking to fill as soon as possible as we are seeking to take the pressure off our volunteer team and thus become more sustainable and hopefully continue developing.
Interested? Know anyone who might be? Please see the job description and person specification and apply to solen@bluespirit.uk.
Thank you to the National Lottery, the Foyle Foundation, the Sir James Knott Trust, Joicey Trust and Hadrian Trust and all our donors for helping make this year's activities possible.
Thank you for your support that has given so many youngsters a taste of the freedom of the waves!
