Birkenhead YMCA has taken the unusual step of purchasing an £86,000 canal barge to give the young people it works with the chance to experience life on a boat. The aim is to teach them team-building skills and to take them into an environment they are not used to. It is believed to be the first project of its type run by a YMCA.
The scheme is for 16- to 25-year-olds and takes them out into the waterways around Birkenhead. During the trips the young people learn how to drive the boat, open locks and look after the boat.
Nigel Hughes, deputy chief executive of Birkenhead YMCA, said: "A lot of the time waterways are viewed as uninteresting and undesirable for young people and are seen as the domain of older people. In reality they're conducive to giving young people an opportunity for teamwork, confidence building and developing social skills. It's also good therapy for those young people who come from an urban environment."
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