Youth volunteering in the Dales leads to paid work

Joely Newell from Bedale has become the latest ‘Up Skill Down Dale’ youth volunteer to a find job in the environment sector.

Earlier this month she attended the final event of the 12-month volunteering programme, which is currently recruiting a fresh cohort for the year ahead.

She helped to plant a woodland on steep pasture on a farm in Cautley near Sedbergh (see picture).

In May she will swap her jobs as hardware shop assistant and seasonal worker at Thorp Perrow bird of prey centre for the post of Community Engagement Trainee on the Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected programme. 

The Up Skill Down Dale programme for 2024/25 is open to applications of interest until 2nd April.  It is for 18 to 29 year olds interested in beginning or finding out more about a career in conservation.

Joely Newell, 22, said:  “When I left college I got a bit confused about what to do next because I didn’t want to go to Uni.  Then I found Up Skill Down Dale.

“The best thing about the programme has been getting that hands-on experience that I haven’t had before. It’s coming out planting trees, building dry stone walls and meeting other people.

“In my new job I will be taking groups from city backgrounds into the countryside. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Up Skill Down Dale programme is run by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.  The Authority’s Member Champion for Promoting Understanding, Derek Twine, said:  “Joely’s appointment as Community Engagement Trainee is great news.   It’s a good appointment to the Tees-Swale team and it’s also an endorsement of the purpose and delivery of Up Skill Down Dale.   What we are trying to do is open up careers in conservation work, whether in the private or public sector, to young people who may not necessarily have a degree in conservation.