The project will work in partnership with Stockton Riverside College and will involve 16-25 year olds from across the North East.

Dry stone walling is a valuable and time-honoured heritage skill and is still used in a variety of restoration projects across the country. Its popularity has sharply declined over recent years and it is in danger of being forgotten completely. This project will encourage and inspire young people from across the North East to get involved with the local heritage and teach them this important skill.

Participants will have the chance to get out in to their surrounding community and help restore important historical structures such as the many boundary walls that make up the North East’s beautiful landscape. 

Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, Ivor Crowther, said: “The heritage sector is in need of people who have specific conservation skills and many of the projects that we fund require special skills such as dry stone walling to make them happen. The Heritage Lottery Fund is passionate about looking after our historic environment and about giving young people the chance to gain new skills and training opportunities that will help them in later life.”

David Beavis, Regional Director for The Prince’s Trust in the North East, said: "Currently a third of all 16-19 year-olds in the North East are unemployed. With this funding we will be able to reach out to some of those young people who feel they don’t have the skills or experience to get a job and help them move on with their lives."

The project will provide the young people with nine bespoke training courses over a period of three years. They will have the chance to learn all about this fascinating skill and have the chance to get out into their local environment and get some hands on experience. Once the training courses are completed, the young people will move on to a four weeks of further training and work experience in the sector.

Notes to editors

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported 33,900 projects, allocating £4.4billion across the UK with £209 million in the North East alone.

Youth charity The Prince's Trust helps change young lives across the North East. It gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. The Trust works with 14- to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. Since the charity was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1976, it has helped over 600,000 young people across the UK and continues to support 100 more every working day.
 
Further information

Laura Bates, HLF Press Office on 020 7591 6027 or lbates@hlf.org.uk

Suzi Price, Prince’s Trust on 020 7543 1231 or suzi.price@princes-trust.org.uk