Lifeboats to give SEND groups taste of life at sea

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will get the chance to experience life at sea with the restoration of two lifeboats, a maritime charity has said.

The Helen Wycherley Heritage Association has two vintage RNLI vessels and plans to offer tours from Whitby, according to director Jemma Sworder.

She explained the boats - which were used to save "countless lives" - would help to "pay the maritime heritage forward" and educate future generations, particularly those from SEND groups.

"Being on the sea, seeing all of the wildlife, it's fantastic respite and we think that group [of people] especially deserves to experience that," she said.

"Especially if they're from a seaside town, you never know, there might be a personal connection to the boat as well, which makes it even more special."

The charity, run by daughter Jemma, father Richard and a close family friend, discovered RNLB Helen Wycherley "rotting away" in a boat shed in Whitby.

Named after the former president of the Women's Lifeboat Institute Guild, the boat had sailed along the North Yorkshire, Cornwall and Irish coastlines during her service.

Sworder said the charity then acquired the Amity with the ambition that she would take people out to sea, while Helen would become a "floating maritime museum".

Offering support to SEND groups was "very close to our hearts", she added, as a family with neurodiverse relatives.

"It's really special to be able to offer them the chance to do things they might not otherwise do, and also their carers and family as well," she said.

Both boats date back to the 1960s, and still retain many original features.

Sworder explained that she and her father, who has a background in engineering, were restoring the vessels themselves, learning new skills along the way.

"We want to show the original craftsmanship that went into these boats," she said.

"With these things, every time you uncover another step, there seems to be more and more work, it's a never-ending project."

As well as restoration, Sworder said they were collecting stories about the lifeboats, including from a man whose grandfather won a medal while serving on the Amity.

Other people have donated artefacts that would be displayed on the boats, she said.

While some information has been passed on by word of mouth, other stories have come from engagement on social media.

Sworder runs a TikTok account documenting the restoration process, which she said had received a "warm welcome" from a surprisingly diverse demographic.

"The maritime industry in general is predominantly men, but as I'm growing I'm finding it's actually more of a 50/50 balance.

"I like to hope that that's given inspiration towards any other young women that may have some kind of niche interest."

Sworder and her father are currently undergoing yacht master qualifications so that they can begin to take groups out as soon as possible.

"My dad's got years of sailing experience but other than that, this is a completely new game for both of us," she explained.

Looking ahead, Sworder said she was "excited to open a new chapter".

"Especially doing it with my dad as well, I think that's really special," she added.

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