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The Western Parishes Youth Development Project is looking forward to offering an expanded programme of canoe excursions for young people in Guernsey ahead of the upcoming season, thanks to a recent donation from the Set Sail Trust.
A fleet of seven kayaks and canoes, as well as a trailer and number of other pieces of equipment, have now been obtained at discounted prices courtesy of the £2,500 donation, allowing the Project to open up trips around Guernsey’s coastline to a greater number of local young people.
A number of different groups coordinated through the Project for young people aged from six to twenty-one, will be able to use the new facilities, including club members, young people referred from outside agencies and other youth groups across the island, drawing on the Project’s trained and qualified instructors.
The Set Sail Trust was established in 2006 to support nautically themed activities for underprivileged members of the community, develop marine activities for schools and clubs and raise awareness of Guernsey’s nautical history. Today, Deutsche Bank, The Long Port Group, The Partnership and International Asset Monitor are all supporters of the Trust with a representative from each sitting on the committee to direct its activities.
This latest donation builds on the Set Sail Trust’s previous canoe-related activity, including providing co-funding to train ten local canoe and kayak enthusiasts from various youth groups to become BCU Level 1 Paddlesport Coaches.
Tony Tostevin, representative of the Set Sail Trust, said:
“We are delighted to be able to make this donation to the Western Parishes Youth Development Project. Learning to take part in nautical activities is an extremely rewarding experience where young people can learn a number of transferable skills. The new additions to the fleet will make a huge difference, especially since three of their youth leaders have recently qualified as British Canoe Union coaches, and assist enormously with the ongoing highly valuable work of the Project.”
Alex Dunster, Western Parishes Youth Work Coordinator, added:
“We are focused on being fully inclusive and as such are always looking to provide opportunities to young people in Guernsey that they otherwise would not have access to. This donation from the Set Sail Trust will help enormously, enabling our trained and qualified leaders to take young people on canoeing sessions in local waters. As well as providing a nautical opportunity to expose a greater number of young people to Guernsey’s coastline, these new facilities will give our young people a chance to network and share their experiences with other groups across the island.”
The Western Parishes Youth Development Project, based at the Styx Centre in St Peter, was set up in 2010 to work with Young People in their community in Guernsey and provide opportunities and experiences which may not have been available to them before.
