Sail Training charity launches Christmas cards inspired by the ocean

Ocean Youth Trust North, the North of England's leading sail training and youth development charity, has launched a collection of Christmas cards inspired by adventures at sea, to raise funds to support its work with young people.

The North Shields based charity provides life-changing personal development opportunities for young people aged 12-25, through the experience of ocean sailing on the charity's yacht James Cook.

OYT North approached Excelsior Academy, a 1300 strong secondary school in the West End of Newcastle, to invite pupils to enter a competition to design its festive greetings cards.

Steve Lennon, general manager OYT North, said: "Our entire focus as a charity is to inspire young people and offer life changing opportunities and so it made perfect sense to ask young people to help us do that by designing our Christmas cards.

The results are simply fantastic. Thank you Excelsior Academy."

Pupils were asked to come up with creative ideas inspired by sailing adventures, OYT North's distinctive yellow yacht James Cook – named after famous British explorer Captain James Cook - and the North East coastline.

A final selection of six designs was chosen by OYT North to make up its pack of Christmas Cards, which includes yacht James Cook pictured as a sleigh pulled by reindeer, sails made from Christmas trees, snowflakes shaped like wheels and anchors wrapped in bright red bows.

All the competition winners spent a day on-board James Cook sailing down the River Tyne from North Shields to Newcastle and back.

Lindsay Robinson, art teacher at Excelsior Academy, said: "Our pupils were inspired by their ocean adventure, they learned so much from the Ocean Youth Trust about the teamwork required on board a sailing ship.

They drew on their memories of their days at sea to produce wonderful and unusual Christmas cards which we all hope will help support the trust's important community work."

The cards are expected to raise around £2,000 for the trust, which has worked with groups including schools, colleges, youth clubs, local authorities and groups working with the disabled and disadvantaged, since James Cook was launched into the River Tyne in 1987.

The trust celebrated the 25th anniversary of James Cook's launch in 2012 and estimates that over 11,000 young people have sailed on her in that time.

This year alone there were 45 voyages with 507 young people taking part and over 5700 nautical miles travelled.

Packs of OYT North Christmas Cards can be bought online at: www.sailjamescook.com/merchandise/christmas-cards-2013

For more about Ocean Youth Trust North: www.oytnorth.org.uk