The Skylark IX, a little ship that saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers during the evacuation of Dunkirk, only to be left to ruin before being rescued herself, has become an inspiring symbol of recovery and resilience.
Now a project run by the trust in charge of this transformation has been credited with helping recovering addicts rebuild their lives.
The Skylark IX Recovery Project and Dumbarton -based rehabilitation charity Alternatives have been working together to build a St Ayles’ skiff rowing boat, which was launched on Loch Lomond last week.
The Skylark IX Recovery Project cares for the Dunkirk little ship of the same name which saved the lives of hundreds of allied soldiers during the evacuation at Dunkirk in World War II.
The ruined Skylark was hauled from the Leven in 2012 after sinking near Sweeney’s in Balloch two years earlier, with work ongoing at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine to restore her.
With this inspirational tale at their hearts, the trust in charge of that is also helping people piece together lives torn apart by addiction working closely with charities Alternatives and Dumbarton Area Council on Alcohol (DACA).
And Thursday (September 22) was a momentous day for the project, as two St Ayles skiff rowing boats were officially launched on Loch Lomond.
The boat was built by a tireless team of volunteers, including Matthew Murie - who is now well on the road to recovery after more than 15 years of battling addiction.
He told the Lennox that the project has changed his life.
Former lorry driver Matthew said: “I wouldn’t have had the chance to do something like this before because of my addiction.
“It’s opened up doors for me.
“For me, it’s been life-changing and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
“I battled addiction for about 15 to 20 years. In the last nine months, I’ve got myself totally clean.
“It’s only down to things like this that my life has changed.
“This has given me a life again. I wake up excited every day.
“I’m at peace. For once in my life.
“For the last 20 years, it hasn’t been that way. I was waking up every day with anxiety. Now I wake up every morning and I can’t wait to get involved with this.”
Work on the project initially began in late 2019, before the pandemic forced a radical rethink of the plans.
However, Alternatives’ Anne Dyer insists that she never doubted the project would be successful.
Anne said: “The spirit of Skylark runs through everything we’ve done. We don’t make things hurdles.
“We might weave and dodge about a wee bit. But we’re always mission-oriented to continue on.
“If Skylark was a real person then we’ve tried to embody the spirit of that individual.
“It’s been a wonderful project to be involved with.
“Sometimes we’re laughing together, sometimes we’re fundraising and really pushing ourselves out. And other times we’re moved to tears because we’re achieving something with people who would traditionally not be involved in this kind of thing.
“I work with a lot of people in recovery every day. For them to be in the forefront is important.
“They’ve picked up skills, some have moved on to jobs. I cannot think of a single negative thing to say about the project.”
Project coordinator Claire McDade echoed Anne’s thoughts, as she explained the life-changing impact of the partnership between Skylark and Alternatives.
Claire told us: “We’ve had different people come and go; we’ve lost people, and there’s been tragedy along the way. But there has also been great happiness.
“We have the names of every single person involved etched onto the side of the boat.
“Last year one of the guy’s life was in a very bad period. He’d fallen off the wagon and was not seeing anyone. He was totally isolated and living in a bedsit.
“Jade West from our team phoned him up and said that we wanted to have his name on the boat. He said that call turned him around.
“He felt that someone cared. He had to hang up because he was choking up.
“He’s in a much better place now, and he credits the project with that.
“We’ve all had dark moments over lockdown. But there was something about Skylark as a symbol of recovery and resilience.
“This is a project that brings people together and gives them hope. And that’s always been what we want to give to people.”
One of the skiffs was christened New Beginnings, with the name chosen by 14-year-old Erin Brown of Alexandria.
And that name had meaning for Mary Burch BEM, chair of the Skylark Recovery Project, who insisted this was only the beginning of the latest chapter in Skylark’s remarkable story.
Mary said: “Although it sounds like an ending with the boat hitting the water, it’s actually a beginning. Endings always mean new beginnings, that’s the cycle that Skylark is part of. It will be a very emotional moment, but this is only the start.
“There will be more lives touched, and that’s what the Skylark project is all about.
“Skylark will hopefully be housed in a new centre, and there’s something tangible there. All the work, joy and resilience that went into that will always bring people together.
“The resilience and the skills that have been a part of that are vital. But so is the sense of belonging.
“We all need that feeling of belonging.”
Whilst community boatbuilding coordinator Rebecca McAskill revealed that she had fallen in love with Skylark’s inspirational tale thanks to the project.
Rebecca said: “The team of people we are working with are amazing. Especially our participants from Alternatives.
“They are so humble and I’ve learnt more from them than they’ve learnt from me.
“It’s been the most rewarding experience of my life.
“I didn’t know much about Skylark before I got involved. The whole symbolism of what the Skylark stands for; being a boat that rescued people during World War II and still rescues people now is incredibly powerful.
“It’s a story that I’m very proud to be part of.”
Matthew meanwhile hopes that the success can help him to support others, as he begins the next chapter of his own story.
He added: “I’m excited for what lies ahead. And I can never be thankful enough for that. My future is bright now.
“I’m looking to get into working with kids and they’ve got me involved in holiday camps working with kids which has totally lifted me. It’s been amazing.
“It’s given me so many opportunities. And we’re going to open up the rowing club to people who couldn’t afford these sorts of opportunities.
“It can be such a help for people who struggle through life’s problems.”
