Shipmates
a programme targeting young people aged 8-18 years old whereby the focus is to develop skills and work towards nationally recognised qualifications, while actively taking part in a sport to improve health and wellbeing.
The AHOY Centre, London
Since 2015, JAC Group has been one of our treasured supporters. They began with one team taking on a challenge, but swiftly developed into the annual JAC Corporate Challenge, where they invited a number of teams from their client and supplier network to compete for the JAC trophy.’
The AHOY Centre charity is a water-based sports charity based on the River Thames in Deptford. Our objective is to provide opportunities for disadvantaged and at-risk youths and disabled adults through the medium of rowing, sailing and other water-based activities. All programmes and activities delivered at AHOY are focused on teaching transferable and employability life skills that will prove to be life changing for our vulnerable participants from a range of backgrounds.
The bulk of our fundraising activity revolves around our corporate rowing challenge days, involving teams of 6 in traditional Thames Waterman Cutters over 8.5 mile courses. Since 2015 the JAC group has been one of our treasured supporters. They began with one team taking on a challenge, but this has swiftly developed into the annual JAC Corporate Challenge, where they invite a number of teams from their network to our centre to fundraise and compete for the JAC trophy.
In 2019 the JAC Challenge raised over £28,000 for The AHOY. This money has gone into supporting our range of programmes delivering life skills, education, training, health and well-being opportunities to over 500 young people each year through the following diverse range of programmes:
Sailability
a programme targeting people who have a range of disabilities, plus those with Special Educational Needs whereby the focus is on teaching sailing and rowing but also on learning and refining independent living skills such as food preparation, cooking, cleaning and basic DIY skills.
Boats Afloat
a programme designed to engage and support young people who are at risk of exclusion, gang and knife crime in our community.
Short Breaks
a respite activity programme for families with disabled children in our community, available during school holidays and also extended to support beneficiaries during the pandemic lock-down.
Their support also led to us robustly weathering the pandemic in 2020, despite not being able to fundraise via the challenge model, during which we were able to support our community by providing hot meals, initially for our beneficiaries and then open to the wider community.
Following a challenging first quarter of 2021 where restrictions continued to cause some disruptions to our projects and on water activities, we’re extremely pleased to share that:
100%
of our apprentices have been retained to their project. All 6 are progressing well and are beginning to be introduced to our other projects – offering peer to peer support and inspiring a younger generation to succeed. Both apprentices whose project was extended to May 2021 successfully completed and are now in employment within the maritime industry.
16
disabled adults are now regularly attending their project, with numbers increasing as confidence builds within the community groups through participation in new activities. Our outreach programme continues to engage new individuals.
327
young people have participated or are enrolled to participate in our projects during 2021 to date.
190
In excess of 190 qualifications have been awarded to date in 2021 ranging from Sailing stages 1, 2, 3; First Aid, Powerboating and VHF.
Also in 2021, when we decided to run a limited number of C-19 safe events in 2021, JAC were once again there, talking part in the first rowing challenge of the year. There is no doubt, The AHOY Centre and JAC Group have a deeply valued connection. The fact that they return to support us year on year with energy and enthusiasm has allowed us to build on relationships we have made, through them, throughout the property industry and has helped AHOY grow, so that we may continue to support London’s most vulnerable, at risk and disadvantaged, and help them on to find successful careers both on land and on the water.
