Jade West

I am the Volunteer Coordinator for local charity and heritage project the Skylark IX Recovery Trust.
The Trust was set up to restore the Skylark IX boat in tandem with our parent organisation ‘Alternatives Community Recovery Service’, a local drugs recovery and rehabilitation service. After being involved in saving 600 men off the beaches at Dunkirk during WW2, the vessel operated as a tourist boat at Loch Lomond for more than 30 years before sinking in June 2010. Alternatives responded to an SOS from the community to Save the Skylark IX and so the trust was formed. In receiving funding from the Heritage Lottery fund and creating key partnerships with the Scottish Maritime Museum and local council too, a key aim for our conservation project is to build skills and job opportunities for the wider community and in particular, for Alternatives’ own clients, to restore the town’s boat crafting heritage. Shining a light on the wonderful things Dumbarton and its people have to offer.