3rd August 2012
Green Award for Eco Friendly Students
Fifteen Durham students have been applauded for their commitment to the environment after completing four challenges to achieve their John Muir Discovery Award – an environmental award scheme focused on wild places, the main educational initiative of wild land charity, the John Muir Trust.
The young environmentalists, all Year 7 pupils from Staindrop School near Darlington, have completed the award through Turning the Corner (TTC) - a young people’s initiative funded by the Big Lottery and managed by Groundwork North East that is designed to engage young people in projects alongside local businesses and organisations. TTC encourages young people to make a positive transition into adulthood and, in turn, promotes positive attitudes by adults towards younger members of the community.
Working alongside the Durham Wildlife Trust at the Low Barns Nature Reserve in Bishop Auckland, the students completed the four challenges that sit at the heart of every John Muir Award – discover, explore, conserve and share.
Activities undertaken by the young people included tree and plant identification, nature walks, pond dipping and building bird boxes. The award also supported the Heart of Durham project by building bat boxes and has helped encourage pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies back into the area by planting marsh violets. The scheme has taken place over the 2011/2012 academic year, visiting Low Barns at the end of each half term to experience the natural habitat through the changing seasons.
To meet the John Muir Award sharing challenge, the students passed on their learning to a group of younger children from Cockfield Primary School at an end of term event. The young leaders from Staindrop School supported the delivery of three environmental activities - mini-beast hunting, pond dipping and meadow sweeping. At the end of the sharing day the young people were awarded certificates from Sam Finn, John Muir Award regional manager for North East England.
Sam Finn, John Muir Award regional manager, said: “Not only have the pupils improved their conservation skills, we hope this experience will encourage them to spend more time enjoying local wild places such as Low Barnes. This project highlights the value of learning outside the classroom. The John Muir Award provides an opportunity to celebrate and reward individual achievement, improving pupil’s self esteem. Well done to all those involved!”
Stephen Matthews, senior youth worker for Groundwork North East, which delivers Turning the Corner projects in Durham’s Gaunless Valley, said: “This project has been a great success in building relationships between the students and the Durham Wildlife Trust and encouraging them to be more environmentally aware. The sharing aspect of the award has got the students to really think about what they’ve learnt and has helped with confidence building. I hope we’ll see the youngsters from Cockfield Primary School engaging with TTC and getting involved with the John Muir Award themselves in the future.”
Mark Middlemiss, special needs co-ordinator (SENCo) at Staindrop School An Academy, who was involved with the project, said: "The work that Turning the Corner and the team at Low Barnes have provided to our Year 7 students is outstanding. It has provided an opportunity for our students to develop social and independent skills while contributing to the wider community."
For further information about TTC projects in Durham contact Stephen Matthews on tel: 01207 524803 or visit the website: www.turningthecorner.uk.com
For further information about the John Muir Award please visit the website www.johnmuiraward.org
Stephen Matthews
3rd August 2012
National Store Co-operates with Durham Teens
A national retailer is hoping for sweet success after teaming up with Turning the Corner (TTC) in an effort to build relationships with young people in Durham.
The Co-operative Food store in Cockfield, Bishop Auckland has arranged for its store workers to manage a weekly tuck shop at the local youth drop-in as part of a community cohesion project to help the store and local young people get to know one another – breaking down barriers and building positive relationships in the process.
The project came about as a result of a collaboration between the Co-operative Food and TTC, which is funded by the Big Lottery and delivered by Groundwork North East. TTC aims to engage young people in projects alongside local businesses to build positive relationships, helping to discourage negative attitudes towards younger members of the community seen to be ‘hanging around’ street corners.
In addition to hosting the weekly tuck shop, the Co-operative store has funded a number of activities for local young people to participate in, including fishing, BMX riding and bush-craft. These activities are designed to encourage youths to try new things, use their spare time constructively and to promote a positive outlook.
Jay Salt, store manager at the Co-operative Food in Cockfield, said: “The partnership between The Co-operative and Turning the Corner was set up to support young people in the area and to demonstrate that they can work more positively and effectively with local businesses. This project has helped us to build relationships with young people in the local area and make them feel valued, as well as helping to build mutual respect between us as a retailer and our young local residents.”
Penny Nicholson, a store worker who has been managing the tuck shop, commented: “The initiative has provided an opportunity to get to know young people today in a positive, neutral environment. The Co-operative values local young people as customers, and as members of the local community, and by showing them this is the case, we’ve seen a positive impact on their behaviour when they come into the store.”
Stephen Matthews, senior youth worker for Groundwork North East, which delivers TTC projects in Cockfield, said: “TTC is delighted to be working in partnership with national retailer, The Co-operative Food, in supporting young people in the area. Providing a platform for young people and businesses to come together and build positive, lasting relationships benefits the community as a whole. I hope the success of this scheme will encourage more rural businesses to get behind young people’s projects like TTC.”
Stephen Matthews
12/01/2012
Cockfield Tailblazers mountain bike ride at Hamsterly Forest
Stephen Matthews
1 August 2011
Turning the Corner scales new heights in Durham
Durham youngsters have been scaling new heights after securing a climbing award as part of a project designed to generate positive relationships between young people and the police.
Ten young people from Cockfield and Evenwood in Durham’s Gaunless Valley have gained an award from the National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme (NICAS), after being given the opportunity to try out the sport by Turning the Corner (TTC) and representatives from the local police.
to read more, click here...
Wendy
1 August 2011
Durham youngsters make tracks with businesses
Durham youngsters are getting on their bike, in a project designed to bring young people and businesses together.
Eight young people from Cockfield in Durham’s Gaunless Valley are working with a number of businesses and organisations to develop a new section of Mountain bike track at Hamsterley Forest, as part of a project arranged by Turning the Corner (TTC) – an initiative that aims to build relationships between young people and businesses by encouraging them to work together on community projects, rather than regard each other as adversaries.
to read more, click here...
Wendy
14 July 2011
Welcome to our new website
Information about the Turning the Corner project from Durham will be uploaded soon!
Wendy