Teenagers to sail with Merseyside Police
Young people in Wirral are flying to Portugal to sail round the Bay of Biscay with local police officers.
The two groups of 10 youngsters will spend nearly two weeks at sea helping sail a 75ft (22.9m) boat.
The project, called Chance of a Lifetime Venture, is funded entirely by donations. It was started by Wirral police officers to reward those who had worked hard in the community.
Since it was established 13 years ago, 400 teenagers have taken part.
The first group will sail back to Liverpool via the Bay of Biscay and the second group will navigate their ship to Conwy, Scotland, Dublin and the Isle of Man before heading back home.
Insp Roy McGregor, who is leading the project, said: "This is a fantastic way to recognise the efforts of deserving young people in Wirral and reward them for being good citizens while giving them opportunity to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
"The experience also equips them with skills that will benefit the community as well as themselves.
"They learn to work as a team with strangers and to show and accept responsibility. They will also receive First Aid training and a PADI - a recognised scuba diving certificate."