Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1        The purpose of the report is to:

·        Update Members on plans by the Atlantic Youth Trust to build a sail training vessel to facilitate youth development, mentoring and training on an all-island basis

·        Seek Member support to encourage the Northern Ireland Executive to progress the release of the funding to allow the project to move forward. 

2.0       Recommendations

            The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the work of the Atlantic Youth Trust (AYT) and the link to some of the Council activity to support major maritime-based events as well as supporting youth engagement and skills development through a Council funded Sail Training Programme.

·        Agree to write a letter to Northern Ireland Executive to encourage the release of the funding. 

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Key Issues

            The Atlantic Youth Trust is a youth development and cultural integration charity that brings together young people from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to engage in sail-based training and development activity. 

3.2       One of the organisation’s key ambitions has been to develop its own Tall Ship that will act as a focal point for the future engagement and training activity.  AYT has been engaging is an extensive programme of political outreach and lobbying to secure the necessary funding for the construction of the vessel.  At this point in time, they have been able to secure resources from the Republic of Ireland government.  These are to be matched by resources from the Northern Ireland Executive. 

3.3       The Fresh Start Agreement included a commitment to work with the Irish government to ‘seek agreement on a funding plan for the Atlantic Youth Trust initiative’. This funding was to focus on the build and fit-out of the training vessel to facilitate youth development, mentoring, and training on an all-island basis.

3.4       As part of their fundraising engagement, AYT were able to secure a £20,000 legacy donation from the 2015 Belfast Tall Ships Races – an initiative lead by BCC.

3.5       If the project does progress, there are opportunities to link this to a range of additional activities in which the Council is engaged.  These include the potential return of the Tall Ships event to Belfast between 2021 and 2023 (subject to funding), youth engagement and outreach activity through our Community Services Team and skills development support.  There is also the opportunity to use the vessel to support the city’s bid for European Capital of Culture as it would sail to a number of ports across Europe. 

3.6       Atlantic Youth Trust has asked for Council support to encourage the Northern Ireland Executive to engage to agree the funding plan and necessary match-funding resources to go alongside the resources provided by the Irish government.  It is proposed that a letter of support is issued to the Northern Ireland Executive outlining the Council support for this activity and encouraging NI Executive engagement to progress the funding discussions. 

3.7       Equality and Good Relations Implications

            No specific equality or good relations implications at this point. 

3.8       Financial and Resource Implications

            No specific financial requests at this point.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.