Oarsome Chance named as Dream Yacht Charter’s official charity

Oarsome Chance, the youth development charity, was named as Dream Yacht Charter UK’s Official Charity at TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show yesterday (Thursday 20 September).

John Gillard, Oarsome Chance Principal, said: “We’re delighted that Dream Yacht Charters UK has chosen Oarsome Chance as its Official Charity. Our objective is to help young people who don’t thrive in the traditional education system into apprenticeship schemes in areas such as boat building, sail making, carpentry and marine engineering. We work with highly talented and motivated students who, whilst not thriving academically, engage well in a vocational workshop and outdoor environment, bringing out natural talents that would otherwise be left undiscovered and releasing their hidden potential. Working with Dream Yacht Charter gives us fantastic exposure and a window in to the luxury end of yacht charter and sales. We are sure that this partnership will inspire the young people we work with.”

Working with young people in Hampshire, Oarsome Chance aims to develop programmes to benefit educational and employability outcomes using vocational education and training. Focusing on young people from 9-19 years old who are disengaged from mainstream education and at risk of exclusion and suffering disadvantage, the charity focuses on marine activities to engage and support young people. From building and rowing coastal skiffs and competing in the National Indoor Rowing Championships to their social enterprise programme – Canvas Works, which upcycles yacht sails into fashion and home accessories – all the programmes are focussed on or around the marine environment and industry.

With a current fleet of more than 1000 yachts sailing out of over 50 bases worldwide, Dream Yacht Charter was founded in 2000 by Loïc Bonnet, with six yachts based in the Seychelles. The company has grown to offer bareboat, luxury crewed and by the cabin charters from destinations including the Caribbean, Bahamas, Australasia, Mediterranean and Asia.

Commenting on the partnership, Andy Byham, UK Director of Dream Yacht Charter said: “I’m delighted that we are able to support the great work done by Oarsome Chance which offers young people a real alternative route to employment. The Canvas Works programme is a great way to recycle yacht sails which would otherwise end up in landfill sites and we will be donating our used sails to the programme.”

Canvas Works is an important part of the Oarsome Chance offering, teaching young people skills including product design, machine work, time management, raw material sourcing and small business operation. The carbon and kevlar weave within modern yacht sails make them an ideal material to produce hardwearing, practical and attractive holdalls, wallets, wash bags, deck chairs and more, with many of the items produced being made to fulfil specific orders.

In addition to donating used sails, Dream Yacht Charter will offer work experience to teach young people the practical skills needed to maintain a premier sailing fleet, from their UK base in Port Hamble. They have also made a commitment to provide craft to support young people within the RYA Cruising Scheme – an entry point to offshore careers in the marine industry.

Oarsome Chance will be at the Boat Show on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 September on the Dream Yacht Sales stand M155.

For more information on Dream Yacht Charter visit dreamyachtcharter.co.uk and to find out more about Oarsome Chance visit – oarsomechance.org