With Rusland Horizons apprenticeship programme now over six months in, our apprentices have been busy making a real difference out and about throughout the scheme area.
The programme aims to provide training and skills to local young people looking to pursue a career within the environmental sector. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, it has also received the generous additional support and involvement of Makita, Electricity North West and Thomas Graham, a local Cumbrian family business
Working full time in the scheme area and clearly visible in their green t-shirts and Rusland Horizons land rover, the team have been busy undertaking practical conservation improvements in the area. They are already making a huge difference in the work they have undertaken; hanging gates, gapping and repairing walls, restoring large amounts of neglected coppice woodland, building a 250m stretch of boardwalk, installing way markers and laying hedges with hedging stakes coppiced from local woodland.
All of this is helping the team gain skills in vital practical conservation skills. Their woodland coppice work and footpath management has been greatly aided by the donation of chainsaws and brush cutters by Makita, and the teams day to day work would not be possible without the support of Thomas Graham, who has provided a comprehensive tool store essential to the apprentices in carrying out all of their practical work throughout the scheme area.
Roy Hobson, from Makita, joined our apprentice teams at Hollywell Wood, near Penny Bridge, spending the day working alongside the team and seeing for himself the fantastic woodland management work being undertaken, helped considerably by the generously donated Makita saws. Calum Johnson, one of our apprentices says “Roy and Makita have always been on hand to with advice and support in regard to our equipment. It has been great to have Roy out working with us, demonstrating new kit and supporting us on the ground.”
Two of our new apprentices Leia Hoggarth from Barrow and Aiden Dineen from Dalton are also receiving the generous sponsorship and support of Electricity North West. This support has made a valuable contribution to their training and development. In the last six months Leia and Aiden together with our other apprentices have gained their practical tickets using chainsaws, brush cutters, abrasive wheels as well as first aid qualifications and a whole host of training in practical and conservation skills delivered by enthusiastic partners of the Rusland Horizons Scheme.
Claire Green, Rusland Horizon’s Skills and Training Coordinator says; “It has been fabulous to see our apprentice team develop and grow in confidence during their first six months with us here. The commitment and support of our supporters and project partners and their enthusiasm in working with our team to develop their skills is making a real difference towards gaining skills vital to a successful future in Conservation Management. Our thanks and appreciation go out to everyone involved in making the project such a success.”
The project are now recruiting for a second round of new apprentices, to apply visit http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/aboutus/jobs
For more information about the Rusland Horizons project and to find out how you can get involved please email Claire Green at claire.green@lakedistrict.gov.uk.