Young people are being given opportunities to learn new skills, build their confidence, and find jobs thanks to a project to improve landscapes and celebrate life around a North-East river. PETER BARRON reports

WINDING its way for 25 miles through beautiful County Durham countryside, the Skerne takes its name from the Norse word Skirr – meaning “bright and shining”.

And, nearly a thousand years after the Vikings died out, the river they revered for the magical light that dances on its waters, is helping to give young people brighter futures.

One of them is 20-year-old Ciar Kirby, from Darlington, who left school with neither qualifications nor a clear path to the future.

Now, that outlook has changed thanks to an initiative to breathe new life into the landscape and communities around the Skerne.

Ciar was the first of an initial batch of trainees to be recruited by Discover Brightwater, a £3.3m landscape partnership, celebrating life around the river, and supported by the National Lottery Fund.

“I had no GCSEs when I left school and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but now I’ve found something I love by working in the countryside,” he says.

Discover Brightwater is an ambitious programme of events, projects and activities made possible by those who play the National Lottery.

Ciar and four other trainees were recruited last year on a six-month programme to give them new skills and invaluable experience while working on environmental projects.

They’ve created woodland walks, restored ponds, discovered the magic of nature, and made areas of countryside more accessible to local communities.

He originally thought he might join the police but couldn’t pursue that ambition because of a heart defect. Instead, he was referred to Discover Brightwater by the Youth Employment Service.

“When I was a kid, a job was just something you had to do, but coming here and doing the training has opened my eyes to how you can make a living and love what you do,” he says.

“I enjoy being out in the countryside, in the green spaces, and I love animals. At home, I’ve got two degus and a cat, so learning more about wildlife has been amazing.”

He and the other trainees have learned to use a range of tools, including chainsaws, brush-cutters, powered-polesaws, and strimmers.

And Ciar has gained some qualifications, including LANTRA certificates in chainsaw use, working safely near deep water, and first aid. He’s also learned practical countryside management skills, including ground maintenance, edge-laying, tree pruning and landscaping.

One particularly fulfilling project involved working in partnership with Durham Wildlife Trust to create a country walk out of a disused railway line between Fishburn and Bishop Middleham, with a link to Hardwick Park.

Ciar, pictured left, has also helped children from Preston Primary School to plant a wildflower meadow at Preston Park, at Eaglescliffe.

The trainees have been expertly guided by Tony Taylor, Brightwater’s Wetland Trainee Supervisor, who joined the organisation last August after spending 30 years in the construction industry.

Tony is studying for a Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences, through the Open University, and applied to Discover Brightwater in the hope of being offered part-time work experience. Instead, they saw his potential to change lives and offered him a full-time job.

“Ciar was the first trainee we took on and he didn’t have a lot of confidence when he started. He had some anxiety issues, but he’s come on so much – he’s a different lad,” says Tony.

“He had no idea there were so many fantastic green areas right on his doorstep in Darlington. He’s responsible and reliable, I know I can trust him to work safely with minimal supervision, and that he’ll help look after newer trainees.

“What’s really a testament to Ciar’s determination is that he’s been doing all his training in the worst possible weather, right through the winter. We’ve been out in the cold and rain for five months, but he still loves it.”

Growing up on council estates in Middlesbrough, and having “had it rough” at times, Tony understands the troubled waters young people from disadvantaged backgrounds sometimes have to navigate.

“It’s about giving them opportunities they might otherwise not have,” adds the father-of four.

“We also try to give them an appreciation of nature – we want them to understand why what they’re doing is so important. It’s not just about learning how to use tools but getting life skills too.

“The Youth Employment Service sends me their CVs and files, but I’m only interested in their attitude. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done before, or how they did at school, if they’re keen to learn and get stuck in, that’s all I need to know.”

As well as giving them skills and experience, Discover Brightwater allows the trainees to keep the personal protection equipment they are issued with – including chainsaw gloves and boots, protective trousers, and forestry helmets, including ear-defenders  – in the hope it will be useful in future roles.

Four new recruits, including Discover Brightwater’s first female trainee, started this week, making sure the programme will continue to have an impact.

Meanwhile, Ciar will soon become the first of the trainees to graduate, and he’s applied for a position on the maintenance team with Darlington Borough Council.

Tony’s justifiably proud of how far the first trainees have come, but what would give him the most satisfaction is if they go on to find jobs.

“In the end, that’s what it’s all about,” he says. “And, if I can’t get them to the point where they can be employed, I’ll feel I’ve failed them.”