Ethos Public Relations Manchester

Pride in Manchester, young people and industry

by Sean

As you may already know, I spent a week recently as volunteer crew on a 76 foot gaff-rigged ketch, as part of our Community Day policy, which allows everyone at Ethos public relations time off to volunteer in the community whilst still being paid.

I know for the non-sailors amongst you gaff-rigged and ketch might not be words you are familiar with, so let me explain a little bit more about the fantastic work done on board. Oakmere GMC is a sail training ship which provides a unique environment for up to a dozen young people. On each voyage, young people can experience challenge, adventure and self-discovery while learning to work together.

My role as crew was to help foster a sense of teamwork, to support the young people and to help build their confidence. The overall philosophy on board is to help the young people learn new skills, acquire a knowledge of ‘old fashioned’ sailing and, importantly, to have a lot of fun.

The boat was built some 25 years ago with significant financial contributions from the Greater Manchester councils, along with major sponsorship from North West companies. It was, until recently, called the Greater Manchester Challenge, for that very reason. It is managed by a registered charity and crewed by both paid staff and volunteers (like me!) and aims to create a 'microcosm of society' afloat.

But could a project as ambitious as building a boat like the Oakmere GMC happen today?

Well, thanks to various funding streams, the capital expense could probably still be covered, but with a serious decline in manufacturing in the UK, I doubt local companies would still be able to offer the services, products and skills needed to build it. For example, only 25 years ago Gardner in Manchester made the diesel engine for Oakmere GMC, but that company ceased production in the 1990s. I’m glad to say that, fortunately, the engine is still going strong!

However, at a time when we need to rebuild confidence in a number of English cities and encourage self-esteem amongst many young people, projects such as Oakmere GMC have never been more important. I believe government, businesses and communities should be doing all they can to make sure such projects remain viable in future, from construction through to sailing.

Posted at 2:06pm on 25^th August 2011