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County Durham Foundation, through the Global Grants Scheme gave £1890.00 on the 02/09/2003 to Simon Turner to attend a training course and obtain a drystone walling qualification.
Simon Turner is 23 and had been unemployed for three months when he approached the Foundation following various temporary unskilled jobs e.g. labourer, kitchen porter and garden centre employee. He has been interested in dry stone walling for some time, and saw an advertisement for a 'taster' day on dry stone walling held by the course provider Donald Gunn (D Gunn Walls) at Kirkley Hall College (Ponteland). He was given a grant from CDF’s Global Grants fund to pay for the course, plus safety equipment, clothing and tools. His trainer provided all other equipment during training. The course was very intensive and required Simon to practice at weekends.
The training provider said Simon was motivated as he had already obtained approval from Gibside Estate to practice his skills there at weekends before the course started (it is close to his home). According to the trainer you need good spatial awareness, which the trainer checked Simon had (some people are what the trainer described as 'stone-dyslexic'), and enthusiasm because the course is very intense.
The course was 13 weeks of 30 hours a week for a group of 4 to 6 people, and ended with a test in December 04 carried out by an external examiner, which gave Simon a Drystone Walling Association Craftsman Certificate Level 1 Initial and/or Level 2 Intermediate. The training provider was confident that Simon could go straight into a job after receiving his qualification.
Achievements and Outcomes
In September 2003, a Global Grant was awarded to Simon who was obviously motivated and seemed almost certain to be able to develop a drystone walling career at the end of the course. After completing the training and the exam, Simon achieved the Drystone Walling Association Craftsman certificate. Simon was able to gain employment after completing the course but was determined to extend and develop his skills to further widen his self-employment opportunities. Simon applied once again to the Global Grants scheme, this time to train for chain saw operating and tree felling. As drystone walling is dependent very much on the weather, employment is seasonal and these further qualifications will enable Simon to secure employment throughout the year.
Simon said:
"The grant from County Durham Foundation has helped me to complete my Dry Stone Walling training and to gain employment from this. The Global Grants fund is also helping me with my tree surgery and forestry training. Without this training I had no trade and was unemployed and I am really grateful for the help. It has changed my life."
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