Skylark IX: The Battered and Bruised War Hero

*Trigger warning: discussion about sensitive topics including drug abuse and depression

In the fourth episode of Amazing Starts Here, Amber meets Jade West, James Currie and Jae Bradley from The Skylark IX Recovery Trust to find out the story of a World War Two rescue ship and how it became a symbol of recovery and resilience of their community in Scotland.

The Skylark IX was a small vessel built in 1934 as a pleasure boat for British seaside visitors. It became a part of history during World War Two, in Operation Dynamo. Its role was to rescue soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, helping larger vessels that couldn’t venture into shallow waters. After becoming a war hero, it was used as a pleasure boat until 2010 when it became unsafe. Skylark IX sank shortly after.

The Skylark IX Recovery Trust is a National Lottery funded charity whose aim is “recovery though recovery”. Their mission is to restore and preserve Skylark IX to keep its heroic history alive. The Trust is supported by volunteers and a drug recovery project called Alternatives

During this episode Jade tells us about her role during the pandemic at the charity, her personal relationship with people in recovery and how Harry Styles fans helped them get the funding needed for the project.

James tells us about his personal experience with addiction and how building boats helped him with his drug abuse recovery journey.





In 2020 to acknowledge Jade’s outstanding work during the Covid-19 pandemic, the National Lottery honoured her as a Heritage Champion by projecting her image onto Stonehenge.

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million goes to good causes across the UK every week, which in turn helps charities like The Skylark IX Recovery Trust to continue to carry out incredible work in their communities.