We had a fantastic Friday in the sunshine down on the Albert Dock. Sarah Rotherham, Merseyside Police’s Local Policing Superintendent, came to launch our wonderful Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) funded project, Steer Your Future, on board The Pride of Sefton.
The Florrie has proudly taken over The Pride of Sefton, an independent charity (charity no. 1144393) which operates a wide beam canal boat based along Liverpool’s iconic waterfront. Now being transformed into a vibrant community barge, it will serve as the home of our new YES-funded youth programme Steer Your Future. On Friday, some of the young people involved in the project welcomed Sarah Rotherham aboard to proudly show her around. The Pride of Sefton will soon become an incredible floating classroom and creative space, and it looked marvellous moored in the sunshine at the Albert Dock.
This innovative project is offering dozens of young people the experience of handling boats and ropework, while giving them the chance to help renovate and design the barge. Through hands-on sessions, creative workshops, and storytelling, Steer Your Future aims to reduce antisocial behaviour and build life skills through creative, physical, and educational engagement. We cannot wait to see how this project develops.
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “The Florrie’s barge project is a brilliant example of early intervention in action, giving young people a unique and exciting opportunity to develop skills, grow in confidence, and get support to help them build a brighter future.”
The Florrie’s Chief Operations Officer Laurence Fenlon said: “Steer Your Future is about breaking down barriers and bringing young people together in a safe and social environment where they get to learn hands-on, talk, form new face-to-face friendships, and problem-solve together.”
Our Steer Your Future project will soon be setting sail, and we cannot wait to welcome even more young people aboard. If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved, keep an eye on The Florrie’s website and social media channels for updates on how to take part. This is only the first chapter of our adventure with The Pride of Sefton and we are excited to see where the journey leads.
