Green Giants

Young people showing off their food growing skills
Young people showing off their food growing skills

Young Roots

Date awarded
Location
Gowy Rural
Local Authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Applicant
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)
Award Given
£25000
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) joined forces with independent school Building Young People's Potential (BYPP) to help 103 young people in alternative education learn accredited skills and become ‘Green Giants.’

The Green Giants worked on 106 sites across Cheshire to put their habitat management plans into action. Work involved pond building, tree planting, habitat creation, hedge laying and coppicing.

Traditional craftspeople acted as mentors to young participants, who photographed and interviewed the craftspeople to share with a wider audience what they had done during the project.

Each young person received support to take charge of their own development and chose training in various techniques such as charcoal making, wattle and daub, orchard management and food growing. They improved their employability and learned respect for the natural environment.

Shane Spence, TCV, said: “The project was a success because, before submitting the application, we ran taster sessions across five sites in Cheshire to recruit a core group of young people. They took ownership of the project, invited their peers and choose the activities from a range of options.”

For more information, visit The Conservation Volunteers website.

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