Experiencing life with The Ocean Youth Trust

At our meeting on 30 January 2024, Hana Mahmood and Ben Sunderland came along to talk to us about their experiences aboard the Ocean Youth Training vessel James Cook. Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Skipton Craven, they took part in a 6-day programme aimed at changing lives and inspiring the futures of young people aged 14 to 17, run by Ocean Youth Trust North out of South Shields, Tyneside.

This Is how they summed up their experiences:

Hana Mahmood: From this trip, I have learnt to be less anxious about asking for others for help when I needed it, this made me feel less anxious about the new experience of sailing. I also improved my ability to communicate as I made sure to talk to everyone to see how they felt and whether they have any worries and vice versa. This meant we worked as a team more effectively and we bonded well with each other. I also became more resilient from this trip as I had to work hard to complete the tasks I was set even when feeling seasick and tired.

 

Ben Sunderland:  From the week out at sea I grew more confident talking to complete strangers I never met and being on the boat we all changed as people to grow more confident with each other. I also learned more about sailing (although most of it has already started to disappear but may come back to me in the future when I don’t have a lot of things to remember), with this trip and my boosted confidence with talking to strangers, especially in college where there isn’t anyone I already know there.