NEWS

Ocean Youth Trust North has won a community award in recognition of its work with young people from Tyne and Wear.

Laura McLachlan and Oliver Evans, two OYT North volunteers, received a commendation award and a cheque for £500 on behalf of the charity at the Community Foundation’s High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear Youth Awards earlier this year.

The award was presented by Peter Lloyd, the High Sheriff of Tyne & Wear, in recognition of OYT North’s work with young people from the area and in particular  with the pupils from Excelsior Academy in the West End of Newcastle.

OYT North was one of several youth organisations and charities to be recognised.

The aim of the awards is to recognise the good work of community and voluntary groups in the county in engaging young people in meaningful activity.

Last year, OYT North partnered with the academy to run a competition in which pupils designed the artwork for its fundraising Christmas cards.

The children were invited to sail on James Cook down the River Tyne and then to draw on their experience to produce a nautically themed card.  Those who produced the strongest designs had their cards printed and were invited to spend a week sailing on James Cook in the North Sea

Steve Lennon, general manager of OYT North, said: “We were delighted to win a Community Foundation award for our work with Excelsior Academy. Their students were an absolute pleasure and really threw themselves into the challenge of working as a team to sail a large yacht offshore over the course of a week.

Their enjoyment, enthusiasm and passion for the experience were reflected in the excellent Christmas cards they designed for us which helped raise funds to benefit the work we do developing young people.”

The £500 grant from the Community Foundation was awarded to enable more pupils from Excelsior Academy to sail with OYT North and they set sail on Monday May 12th for a five day voyage with 12 pupils and staff.

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