Youth charities visit Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for UK Sail Training Conference
by Association of Sail Training Organisations 2 Mar 2022 17:11 GMT
UK Sail Training vessels at a previous ASTO Small Ships Race for young people © Max Mudie / UK Sail Training
More than 100 people attended this year's UK Sail Training Conference which took place yesterday in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard.
The event was organised by ASTO (Association of Sail Training Organisations), which is a Gosport-based charity promoting Sail Training in the UK.
Sail Training is an exciting and challenging way for young and disabled people to develop key life-skills such as self-confidence, resilience, motivation, and teamwork.
The attendees at this year's conference were comprised of shore-based staff, sea-staff, and volunteers from over 30 different Sail Training organisations. ASTO's annual conference is an opportunity for Sail Trainers from all over the UK to come together and share knowledge, expertise, and their experiences from the past year.
This year, the UK Sail Training Conference was hosted at a new location in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, and ASTO would like to thank the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust for their support in organising the event.
Hannah Prowse, CEO of the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust, said: "We were delighted to host the UK Sail Training Conference here in the Historic Dockyard. We are passionate about supporting the work of other charities - especially those whose goals align so closely with our own. Like ASTO, we believe in the transformative power of the sea and shared experience to bring people closer together and to teach valuable skills."
The opening plenary saw keynote speeches from the RYA's Chief Executive, Sara Sutcliffe, and CEO of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Brian Johnson. This was shortly followed by this year's MCA/ASTO Awards Ceremony, with the highly coveted 'Sail Training Vessel of the Year' award being presented to Cirdan Trust's Faramir. As well as this, Sea-Change Sailing Trust's Oliver Evans took home the trophy for 'Best Potential Future Sail Training Skipper'.
In addition to the annual MCA/ASTO awards, three additional accolades were presented for the first time at the conference's closing plenary. These new awards were:
- Environmental Excellence Award, sponsored by Tanki: Blue Mermaid, Sea-Change Sailing Trust
- Best Shore-based Staff (Unsung Hero Award): Jane Pocock, The Island Trust
- Social Media Star Award: Ocean Youth Trust South (@OYTSouth)
The event also included a number of informative sessions on a range of topics including mental health awareness, inclusion and diversity, and safeguarding young people. ASTO encourages their members to set the highest standards of safeguarding and inclusivity. Conference goers were also treated to a special talk by the PNBPT about the history of the Dockyards and the iconic vessels that are on display.
This year, the conference was once again able to take place in-person after switching to an online format in 2021 due to the pandemic. ASTO's Chair, Mark Todd, said: "It was fantastic to see the UK Sail Training industry gathering after two seasons which were so badly affected by Covid, and to find that every single member organisation has come through the pandemic and is looking forward to the coming sailing season."
He added: "There is so much evidence about the impact of Covid on the education, mental health, wellbeing and prospects of young people, and the need for positive activities promoting confidence, teamworking, communication, friendship and more. Sail Training stands ready to offer opportunities to young people who need our work more than ever."
To find out more about ASTO, Sail Training, and the positive work our member organisations do, visit website: www.uksailtraining.org or follow on social media @UKSailTraining.