National Lottery players help push the boat out on the Clyde
That is set to change with the first ever Clydebuilt Festival. The free community festival will celebrate the unique maritime heritage of the city and the work of the Anchor and Sail project, a partnership between the GalGael Trust and the Clyde Maritime Trust.
It will include Scotland’s biggest open water rowing race – Castle to Crane - covering 13 miles from Dumbarton Castle to the Finnieston Crane. A fleet of 75 open rowing boats with teams from Scotland, Cornwall, Cork and the Netherlands, will take part.
The highlight of the festival will be the launch of two new wooden boats. The West Coast Skiff and the Captain’s Gig have been traditionally hand-built over the last three years by boatbuilding apprentices and volunteers thanks to funding from the National Lottery.
Over 200 people from the Govan community sought sanctuary from the stresses caused by unemployment, addiction and mental health problems to learn traditional boat-building skills through the Anchor and Sail project. As they learned, they built their own sense of worth and self-belief.
[quote= Lucy Casot, Head of HLF Scotland]“Funding from the National Lottery has allowed GalGael to use traditional boatbuilding to give many vulnerable people a chance to turn their lives around with new skills and qualifications."[/quote]
Lucy Casot, Head of HLF Scotland, said: “Funding from the National Lottery has allowed GalGael to use traditional boatbuilding to give many vulnerable people a chance to turn their lives around with new skills and qualifications. It has also ensured that Scotland’s traditional boatbuilding skills are kept safe for future generations.”
Ben Wilde of the GalGael Trust, said: "We’re delighted to be running the Clydebuilt Festival. Glasgow has such a rich maritime history, it’s great to celebrate it properly.”
Get involved
The Clydebuilt Festival will take place on Saturday 23 (10am – 12pm) and Sunday 24 September (11am – 5pm). The festival includes live craft demonstrations, music, street food and a makers’ market. It is supported by HLF and Historic Environment Scotland.
