A group of unemployed young people have worked together to improve the outdoor facilities at Tees Valley YMCA.
The Prince’s Trust Darlington Team chose to help the charity organisation as part of their community project which sees them working as a team and learning new skills whilst also helping to improve their local area.
The 12-week course, delivered by the Education Training Collective (Etc.) at various locations across the region, aims to help young people find their future direction by taking part in tasks and challenges.
Residents of Tees Valley YMCA in Darlington will now be able to enjoy the new garden area and spend more time outdoors after the group cleared the garden, trimmed bushes and trees, removed grass and weeds and levelled off the area. They also added flower beds, vegetable patches and created a new picnic area.
Prince’s Trust student Caitlin, 20, of Darlington, said: “The area did not look great when we started but I loved working with the team to make a difference and do something nice for other people. The project was a lot of fun for me and I’m proud of the finished product. I can’t believe we managed to do it in just two-weeks!”
Mark Hamilton, Darlington Prince’s Trust Team Leader, said: “I’m proud of the team, working outside for two-weeks in hot weather wasn’t easy, but the group were amazing. It was great to see them all working together and getting out of their comfort zone. I think a few of them were surprised at how much they enjoyed helping their local community.”
Lynn Lambert, Housing Manager at Tees Valley YMCA, said: “Our garden area has always had potential but it has always been overgrown and hid behind a fence. We got in touch with Mark as we really wanted to clear the area and make it suitable for our residents to use as a garden area and grow our own fruit and vegetables.
“The team worked so hard and the progress they made in those two-weeks was incredible. We are so pleased with the finished product and we can’t thank The Prince’s Trust enough for all of their hard work.”
Officially opening the revamped garden, Honourable Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington, said: “It has been great to see the finished product that the Prince’s Trust Darlington Team has fulfilled at Tees Valley YMCA. It is inspirational to see the team progress both individually and as a team and they are a credit to their team leaders. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future.”
The YMCA is the largest voluntary provider of safe, secure and affordable supported housing for young people in England.
