Sailing Ahead With Partnership Working

In 2006, the Bedfordshire Lifestyle Choices Project celebrated the 140^th anniversary of the John Grooms charity, with a stand at the Bedford River Festival.  During the festivities, a Bedford Rotarian picked up a brochure from our stand for his Club. 

Several weeks later, Rotarian Peter Janssen contacted the Project’s office to learn how the Project supports adults with disabilities locally.  He asked for assistance in identifying a local person with a disability that would be interested in going on a 5-day voyage with the Jubilee Sailing Trust, funded by his Rotary club, the Rotary Club of Bedford. 

From the Project’s past and present clients, a selection of suitable candidates was provided and following discussions, John Andrews was chosen.  John is blind, therefore it was agreed that he would require a ‘buddy’ to accompany him, which the Rotary Club agreed to kindly fund too.  So, Lifestyle Choices Project volunteer John Rowlands was assigned to accompany John Andrews to Southampton for the pair to embark on their voyage.  

You can read about their exploits in his report on their voyage below.

From the chance meting at the River Festival, a terrific partnership has developed.  The Rotary Club of Bedford has funded two more clients’ voyages AND provided a wheelchair for the Project’s disability awareness training.

The Lifestyle Choices Project is very appreciative of the Rotary Club of Bedford’s continued support.  The John Grooms charity has subsequently merged with the Shaftesbury society and is now called Grooms-Shaftesbury.

Scott Richardson

Project Manager, Bedfordshire Lifestyle Choices Project

Grooms-Shaftesbury

TEAM FANTASTIC

By John Rowlands

The ‘Team Fantastic’ consisted of the following champions of support, each of whom provide opportunities of empowerment to people that have experienced varying lifestyle challenges who want to overcome their own impairments and barriers.

The JUBILEE SAILING TRUST (www.jst.org.uk)

LIFESTYLE CHOICES PROJECT, BEDFORD (GROOMS SHAFTSSBURY) (www.grooms-shaftesbury.org.uk)

They worked together to provide an opportunity to allow two individuals to take part in a challenging expedition, which would be both pleasurable and rewarding.  It would raise their feelings of self-confidence and achievement, whilst testing their team working skills, community skills and above all having fun.

So having gone through a volunteer application and selection process, John Andrews (right) and myself (left) were selected from a cast of thousands! 

We were selected to buddy up as a team and become part of the volunteer crew of the MS LORD NELSON, one of the two tall ships that the JUBILEE SAILING TRUST puts to sea several times a year on various sailing routes. The crew is made up of able-bodied permanent members, able bodied volunteers and last but not least the most important element, the crew members with life challenges. 

Until the selection point, John and I had only briefly met at social functions and we really didn’t know much about each other or our own challenges which we would have to overcome to gain the most rewarding effects of the project.  So, a meeting in a pub was arranged to get to know each other better and to make a few ground rules to prepare for the forth-coming adventure.

John’s challenge was his sight loss, which became total in 1988, and his ambitions on the journey was to climb aloft, take the helm and meet new friends, and also to raise his personal self confidence in getting out and about interacting with others on an equal basis.

My challenge was the condition of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, following military service. My ambitions for the voyage were to gain self-confidence and a sense of achievement by travelling beyond the safety zone of my home.  Also to mix and integrate with other people and having fun.

So on Saturday the 12 May, we set out on their voyage, full of schoolboy enthusiasm, with just a little trepidation. On arriving at the Southampton port area, we soon found the MS LORD NELSON, and what a sight it was!  I described the vessel to John.  It was then that the realisation and shock of what lay ahead for us hit us!

We were firstly introduced to our watch leader Rosemary and the remaining members of the watch, who directed us to our sleeping berths, issued us with our waterproofs, Wellingtons, and securing harnesses. Then we were then informed that we were the duty watch, and we were responsible for preparing the ship for leaving port. So welcome people you’re the working crew.

So from the start we had no time to be shy or inhibitive, it was work straight away, and this could only be achieved by teamwork and helping each other.

So as we left Southampton dock, the watch stood together, gathered our thoughts and breath from the introduction to the LORD NELSON, the new skills of sailing, and introduced ourselves in a more leisurely way. Achievement one – mixing, integrating and making new friends. Achievement two - operating outside our personal comfort zones.

During our short voyage to the Isle of Wight, we took time to meet up and introduce ourselves to the remainder of the crew for the voyage.

On anchoring off the Isle of Wight, so the skipper could make a decision on the direction of our voyage based on the winds and tides. Whether we go west to France or east to Weymouth. We met up with the remaining crew in the bar area so as to begin our nightly gatherings where we entered into the traditional sailor’s pastime of singing sea shanties.

Sunday morning greeted us with true sailing weather, rolling sea, winds and of course torrential rain. The skipper informed us that due to the winds and tides, we would be sailing easterly along the English coast, heading for the lovely resort of Weymouth. Then following a hearty breakfast we were called to sailing stations. Confusion reigned, where were we supposed to be, what were we supposed to do. Rosemary came to our rescue, and soon we became familiar with the terms of “sweating and tailing”, “the course sail, the tri-gallant, and the royal. Cries of “give way, heave ho, on the mark, give starboard, give port”.

Then the next task was going aloft in the pouring rain, unfortunately but understandably, John could not take part at this time, but his time did come later in a more spectacular way. I was able to attempt this task again and met some of my personal goals. Gaining self-confidence in carrying out the climb, assisting and supporting others and interacting with others.

So, as we sailed towards Weymouth, we settled into the daily routines of the crew, helping in the galley (kitchen to non-sailors), swabbing the decks, swabbing the heads (toilets), setting and trimming the sails, and every now and then a few hours sleep.

Then every sailor’s nightmare, the dreaded seasickness struck me.  It lasted only 12/15 hours, but the worst 12/15 of my life. Take your worst hangover, times by 3 the feelings, and then put yourself in a tumble dryer, that’s seasickness. If I had not reached Weymouth, then I said that I would have thrown myself overboard.

On arrival in to Weymouth Harbour, the sun was shining, with sightseers admiring the NELSON and professional crew who sailed her, if only they knew

Then came John’s main challenge, climbing aloft. Dave the boson and I fitted John into his harness and attached the safety line, then Dave began to give John the safety brief. And as all the crew gathered to watch John’s ascent, off he went, with no signs of fear, lack of agility, in fact Dave had problems keeping up with John. And on his successful accent to the sail platform, the crew responded with rapturous applause. Then ‘surprise, surprise’, John informed Dave he wanted to climb higher, so he did. Again receiving rapturous applause from everyone. The mixed crew then assisted to ensure everyone with various challenges achieved their own goals of going aloft.

So after enjoying the local fish and chips, it was time to set sail for our return journey, no seasickness this time. Both of us were now seasoned sailors (?!), and totally integrated as fellow sailors and with newfound friends.

During the return trip we took turns to helm the ship without causing any collisions at sea.

Again, prior to returning to Southampton, we anchored off the Isle of Wight, and for the last time the full crew met in the bar area as the crew of the LORD NELSON and sang our last shanties together. The atmosphere was jovial as new made friends had achieved the sailing of one of the tall ships together, but there was an underlying tone that everyone would rather we were beginning a longer journey together.

On the next day as we said our farewells, shook hands and waved to our new made friends, we felt a tinge of sadness.

So we sat and reflected on the trip and our experiences, had we achieved our goals and ambitions, YES and with interest!  Would we encourage others to take part in future voyages, MOST CERTAINLY. Would we take the opportunity to sail with the trust again? DEFINITELY.

We also had the pleasure of being invited to describe the voyage and the positive effects it had on our life aspirations and ambitions, and own personal goals, to the BEDFORD ROTARY CLUB. And we were both more than willing to share our life changing experiences. 

John Rowlands