A TEAM of students have got their hands dirty to transform a garden as part of an employability skills course.

Nine young people aged between 17 and 23 have worked tirelessly for five days pulling weeds, digging up grass and moving two tonnes of gravel to rejuvenate the garden of Teesdale House, in Bishop Auckland.

The project is part of a 12-week Prince’s Trust course, delivered by Stockton Riverside College, which aims to improve employability skills, develop soft skills and help students progress into further education or employment.

Marc Iveson, team leader at the Bishop Auckland branch of the Prince’s Trust, said: “The group have really got stuck in this week and done a huge amount of work.

“It rained a lot for three out of the five days but that didn’t deter them, they still got the job done and the difference is amazing.”

The course begins with an induction week and a residential visit before students are tasked with finding a community-based project that they must plan and raise funds for, under the guidance of a Prince’s Trust mentor, in this case Mr Iveson.

The group secured £250 from the Key Fund and Homebase donated a bench for the garden.

Mr Iveson added: “This part of the course is fantastic for their CV because they can now say they have experience in project management, planning, fundraising and of course carrying out the physical work side.

“We’ve had brilliant feedback from Teesdale House who were kind enough to bring us donuts and a nice card so it’s a job well done.”

Assistant team leader, Liam Atkinson, was a student on the course in 2018 before he secured employment with Stockton Riverside College.

He said: “I joined the course to improve my mental health and it definitely did that. My experience means I can empathise with the young people in the area.

“I’ve worked on five projects now and the transformation here is quite striking. The students really have done a brilliant job.”

For information visit stockton.ac.uk/princes-trust/