Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) recently teamed up with their ship management partner, AW Ship Management (AWSM), to provide a sponsorship package to send several youngsters from the Barrow-in-Furness area on a voyage aboard the Pelican of London.

Pelican of London is a tall sail ship and sails for 46-48 weeks each year with up to 35 young trainees and 12 professional crew. These voyages support the development of young people, building resilience, self-confidence, and independence.

The ship is owned by the youth development charity Seas Your Future, offering young people sail training, maritime careers and ocean science voyages for personal and character development.

Pelican had embarked a group of youngsters in Dublin the week before her arrival into Barrow, and the vessel had sailed to the Isle of Man, Dumfries, Anglesey, then on to Barrow. The voyage was undertaken mainly under sail with minimal use of the engine giving a great experience for all of those onboard.

Docking in Barrow, the Pelican welcomed over 2,500 people for deck visits and well over 8,000 attended a weekend’s activities which included fun and games for visiting children, music, and a chance to meet the local police, sea cadets and air cadets. AWSM and NTS staff were also in attendance to learn more about Seas Your Future, meet the team on board, and support the project to revive the Barrow Sea Festival for 2023.

Andy Milling, Marine Manager of Nuclear Transport Solutions, said: “It was a really interesting and well attended local event. I had the chance to speak to some of the cadets onboard and it was so encouraging to see such a diverse group interested in a career at sea. Hopefully we can build on this at next year’s event to inspire more youngsters in the local area to take the challenge of a career at sea”.

Daniel McGeown, Contract Manager of AW Ship Management, said: “We’re very pleased to have been able to team up with NTS to provide this joint sponsorship package, and assist Seas Your Future in facilitating the voyages for local children and their mentors. This also serves to illustrate our commitment to the local community in Barrow and we look forward to working with NTS on future projects.”