YOUNG Lives last week took delivery of its new “Get Creative, Get Afloat” multimedia studio.

The 50ft-long widebeam vessel arrived from Nottinghamshire on Friday afternoon, and it took nearly two hours to unload at Hartford Marina.

The �35,000 acquisition is the next stage in the charity’s floating studio project, which was awarded �60,000 of funding in a phone vote run by the Jubilee People’s Millions competition. The rest of the money will be spent on overhauling the boat inside and out – including fitting it with the kit to transform it into a multimedia recording and editing suite.

The boat will be moored at Hartford Marina while the charity finalises arrangements for a permanent home, possibly near the charity’s Bridge Street headquarters in St Ives.

Once completed, the boat will tour Cambridgeshire’s waterways, allowing youngsters to learn audio and video editing and production skills.

Young Lives expects the boat to be ready by February 2012.

Katie Low, head of participation and active citizenship at Young Lives, said: “We still need advice and recommendations on exactly what recording equipment we will be able to fit inside. But we will be working with young people every step of the way – we want their input on what they’d like to see in there.”

Young Lives expect the boat to be ready by February 2012.