A DOZEN community venues across the dale are set to get a spruce-up as part of a project offering young people an opportunity to get into a trade.
The unique scheme will see at least 20 youngsters taking up week-long placements working alongside professionals to redecorate 12 village halls and public centres in the coming months.
The work is thanks to a collaboration between Teesdale Action Partnership (TAP) and community investment company Trades4Care. The venues will benefit by paying only a quarter of the cost of having the refurbishment done, while those unsure of their career path get a taste of working in the decorating trade.
Venues to get a makeover include village halls in Gainford, Barningham, Butterknowle, Bowes, Cotherstone and Romaldkirk, along with Evenwood’s Randolph Centre, Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services’ offices in Middleton, Staindrop’s Scarth Memorial Hall, Cockfield’s YMCA Community Café, TCR Hub, in Barnard Castle, and Evenwood Parish Hall.
TAP has invested £15,759 in the scheme, while the dale’s six county councillors have contributed a combined £3,000 from their neighbourhood funds, matched by £3,000 from Trades4Care, which was established in 2019 and has offered placements to dozens of trainees.
Annalisa Ward, from TAP, said: “Their mission is to get young people interested in the prospect of working in trades, give them experience working in a professional team on placement to help them gain technical, social and employability skills, build their confidence and connect them to community groups and services.”
Young people who sign up to the scheme will be working with tradesman Charlie Wright and junior supervisor Cameron Southworth, who started out on a placement with Trades4Care and completed her apprenticeship this year. Trades4Care director Deborah Jenkins said: “We always said our dream is that when the time comes for us to step down, we would hand over to some of the young people who started with us on placements, and Cameron has made that real.
“She is a director of the company, and that is not just tokenistic, she’s an equal director with us and involved in any strategic decisions.
“That is a big shift from someone who started with us on a one-week placement. We are so proud of her,” added Ms Jenkins. She said that anyone over the age of 16 can sign up for a placement.
Of the opportunity, the director said: “It is very different when you are part of a professional team from when you are in a school or educational setting because it is about saying ‘we value you as a member of our team’ and you are going to be treated by the client in exactly the same way as Charlie or Cameron because you are part of that team. I think that gives people a sense of self-worth.”
Chief executive of The Hub Rachel Tweddle said work done at the centre would include renovating the accommodation areas and bathrooms. She added: “It is things we do not have the time, capacity or funds to do and to link young people to that is brilliant.”
TAP chairman Cllr James Cosslett described the scheme as fantastic because of the dual benefit for young people and community venues. He added: “We are really pleased to be able to fund this and hopefully we will continue to support this in the future.”
Butterknowle Village Hall will be the first centre to undergo renovation when work starts on November 25.
Those interested in a placement can ring Mr Wright on 07905 027074.
