Project to encourage young people to be involved in and inspired by the many traditional skills in the Dales.
Craven College has been working with young people from rural schools, Youth Clubs, Guides and Brownies in North Craven and Upper Wharfedale to raise awareness of heritage 'Skills in the Hills'. Since July 2011, 260 young people from rural areas have participated in activities such as Dry Stone Walling, Animlal Welfare, Pond Dipping, Tree Planting, Tractor Driving, Bee Keeping, Stained Glass Making, Stone Carving, Bushcraft and Vegetable Growing.
The aim of The Skills in the Hills Project is to enthuse young people and encourage them to be involved in and inspired by the many traditional skills that are intrinsic to the Dales rural communities. It has enabled a range young people from local rural communities to raise their awareness of important rural skills and provide information about potential career pathways in the area.
"It was a good experience" "The foraging was fun and different" "You felt quite independent although someone was with us, really fun 10/10" were just some of the enthusiastic comments fed back from the young people involved in the activity days in the Dales.
Project Manager Pippa Syers says:
"The project has been a major success, the young people have been so enthusiastic about the activies and surprised themselves at how much they have enjoyed the different experiences. The activitie have created a real interest in the young people who took part ecouragaing them to learning more! The funding is being made available through the Rural Development Programme for England, which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union.”
For more information please contact Pippa Syers on 01756 708052 or psyers@craven-college.ac.uk
