Vital Spark Racing C.I.C. is a proposed social enterprise company based in Alloa with an aim to offer a practical workshop course in power boat building which will benefit, support and empower disadvantaged young people in the Clackmannanshire region. This course offers our service users the opportunity to gain self-confidence, work experience and a company reference to encourage and assist them in their future endeavours.
The principal directors are John Young, an experienced offshore power boat racer who won the National Championships three times and set six national speed records in his class; Melanie Forrest, who has a vast experience of working and living on her canal boat; and John Nicoll, a successful author and poet.
The original project would see 10 local people split into three teams to build a power boat, a trailer for the boat, and a third team dealing with the admin and social media had to be shelved when Covid restrictions hit in 2020. Undeterred, Vital Spark has scaled down the project and Apex is delighted to have two of our Alloa service users involved with the smaller project – fully refurbishing the power boat to its former glory. One client is involved with the refurbishment project and another is responsible for photo documenting the transformation.
The team had hoped to be back on 7 January 2021 but restrictions have, once again, delayed the work. They are hoping to be back soon and we can’t wait to see the end results!
From left to right, the photograph shows Ann Mathieson (Apex), Ian (Apex participant), Daniel (participant), John Young (Vital Spark), Richard (Apex participant), Melanie Forrest (Vital Spark)