Work experience at YDMT
October 23, 2009
This past week we’ve enjoyed having Izzy around, who is on work experience from Settle College. As it’s now coming to the end of her week with us I asked her if she would write a bit about her experience of working at the Trust. And so here it is.
“This past week I have been on work experience with YDMT. I chose to come here for many reasons. There are lots of different jobs within the Trust. As it is a charity there is fundraising, then there is finance and administration, and there are also projects. Projects are lots of different ventures trying to improve or sustain the Yorkshire dales; the Trust also manage funds on behalf of other organisations. Throughout the week I was given different jobs in each of these departments. The last department is the People and the Dales team.
The People and the Dales team lead fun, active and enjoyable activities in the Yorkshire Dales. The project benefits ethnic minority groups, disabled people, urban disadvantaged and young people. Yesterday, I went with Judy Rogers, a community worker, to take a group of year six children from Bradford and Otley for a walk round the Hoffman Kiln. The children ranged from being incredibly enthusiastic to fed up that they actually had to go for a walk. Some of the children’s knowledge of nature in general was very little and I was asked very seriously by one small child when going in to a field full of cows and sheep whether the cows ate the sheep. I said no – I didn’t think so!
After that we went in to the Hoffman Kiln. It is a massive oblong shaped tunnel that was used to burn limestone continuously. Once burnt down to a white ash the lime could be put on the fields to make the grass grow better. Being so big it means you can enter through one of the little doors and walk round inside the kiln. Unless you were going past one of the little doors the tunnel was pitch black and you couldn’t see where you were putting your feet plus the noise that the children were making seemed twice as loud as their cries echoed round the tunnel.
After that we climbed up a small hill to sit and have our lunch at the top looking down on the view of the Ribble Valley and Settle. The weather had prevailed and the sun, though shining weakly, was shining. All the children even the ones that had been whingeing and crawling up the hill on their hand and knees had an undeniable look of satisfaction on their now rosy faces. After getting our breath back and feeding up we set off again on a different route back down the hill taking a shortcut the fields of a farmer called Tom. He took us through his hay meadows and told everyone about them and lambing time. Then we set off again over the moors, scrambling over limestone and trying our hardest not to slide down dew laden grass. When we finally got back to the bunk barn where the schools were staying there was a definite air of satisfaction and pride and also a strong desire for a warming hot chocolate.
Overall I think that the YDMT are doing a really good job and I have enjoyed my work experience placement here a lot.”
