It's a bitterly cold Dorset morning and 19-year-old Gary Stephens is busy chopping wood and sharing a joke with friends. That might sound unremarkable but this is real progress for Gary.
Normally, at this time of day he would be in bed or watching TV. "I don't really do anything," says Gary, who has only attended college for a few weeks since he left school nearly three years ago. "I just hang out or go skating."
But this week is different. Gary is among a group of 16- to 19-year-olds from Buckinghamshire who are spending the half-term week taking part in a residential scheme at the Ancient Technology Centre in Dorset. The 11 young people are having to sleep inside an earth house, contend without running water and cook their food over an open fire. This is Neolithic living in all its uncomfortable glory.
Most teenagers on the programme are either not in employment, education or training (NEET) or have only recently found jobs or college places. They've also all come into contact with the reintegration team at Buckinghamshire County Council, which helps support unemployed young people or those outside mainstream education.
Change of direction
Rob Watkins, specialist reintegration worker, says that the five-day trip is intended to help give the teenagers direction in life, build their self-esteem and, importantly, have fun and make friends. "Some of these young people do very little from one day to the next," he says. "Their self-confidence is low and they're pretty bored. Taking them away and teaching them new skills gives them a sense of purpose and something to look forward to."
Most of those attending the course come from Aylesbury, the affluent commuter-belt town more often recognised for its high house prices rather than its NEET problem. But where they live is partly responsible for the situation some of the young people find themselves in.
"The opportunities simply aren't there," says Watkins. "Whereas at one time young people who struggled at school or who didn't want to go on to college would have found a low-skilled job, these opportunities no longer exist locally. Most of the manufacturing companies have moved out of the area and the only jobs going are in shops or as cleaners. And because these posts are rare, they usually get taken by those with experience anyway."
It is a situation 18-year-old Ben Benson knows only too well. After leaving school at 16, he worked in a newsagent, but was sacked after he was accused of giving a cigarette to a friend. A packing job followed, but that didn't work out either and now he spends his days just hanging about at home. Coming away to the Ancient Technology Centre has been the highlight of his year so far. "It's been nice having something to do and not just sitting around bored," he says. "I've met new people and got to know the workers better."
Informal structure
While at the centre, the young people are learning the art of making ancient wall panels called hurdles as well as being taught to coppice woodland and blacksmith skills. The structure of the programme is informal, with young people free to pick and choose the activities they want to join. All the youth workers ask is that they use their time constructively.
Anthony Brown, tutor at the Ancient Technology Centre, says that participating in such ancient handicrafts is a great leveller and a good way to boost self-esteem. "It's very much about experiential learning," he says. "We like the young people to get their hands muddy. Classroom learning does not suit some young people, especially those with literacy problems, so this approach can give them a chance to make something and feel a sense of accomplishment."
This hands-on approach is going down well with those on the course, too. Ben says it is nice to feel trusted and to be given the opportunity to use tools such as axes and saws. Gary says the course has helped him to think about his future. Before attending, he didn't have any ideas about a career, but a day in the woods coppicing trees changed that. "It was just brilliant," he says. "Being out in the open, surrounded by beautiful countryside has really got me thinking about doing an agricultural course. I might also look into doing voluntary woodlands work when I go back to Aylesbury."
Watkins says such successes justify the 2,000 spent on a residential programme. "Someone like Gary would probably be considered an extreme case of a NEET, but it just shows you the benefits of taking groups away."
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Ancient Technology Centre is located in Cranborne, Dorset, and comprises a series of reconstructed historical buildings, including an earth house. The centre is in the process of constructing a Viking longhouse, which will provide residential accommodation for youth groups from Easter 2008.
For further information, call 01725 517618.
