Groundwork trainees plan to be a cut above

Groundwork trainees Dillon Ross, Callum Jackson and Mark Twigg with their new professional gardening strimmer.

They will use the £600 device during their traineeship with communities’ charity Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle.

Along with learning to use tools safely, completing garden tidies and conservation work, it forms part of a programme to help them into employment within environmental services.

The device was paid for with money raised from Groundwork’s Growing Together initiative.

Launched last summer, it aims to raise £10,000 to fund an apprentice for a year and buy equipment.

Jed Tubman, Groundwork’s environmental ranger, said: “The Green Team trainees have worked hard together and been awarded the new machinery.

“The strimmer will assist them and future trainees in machine competence and usage.”

Groundwork’s traineeship helps people aged 16 to 24 to learn outdoor skills as part of its Green Team.

Training is usually between 12 and 26 months and gives young people experience of working on environment schemes, with English and maths learning also included.

The strimmer was paid for from an existing £1,521 Growing Together fund. Much of it was raised by six trainees who undertook a sponsored ‘virtual’ 84-mile Hadrian’s Wall challenge last summer.

They did so on gym equipment at Low Simonside Community Centre, in Taunton Avenue, Jarrow.

Groundwork currently has traineeship vacancies within its team. Anyone interested in finding out more, should call 0191 428 1144.

To donate to the Growing Together fund, or to find out more about it, visit the website HERE.