Outdoor Learning

Young people are already learning about aquaculture, through the sustainable fish farming operation, and horticulture, through growing their own vegetables and flowers on site, but there is enormous potential for developing the young people further. To this end, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation has announced generous funding enabling the ABLE project to recruit an Outdoor Learning Coordinator to develop the training activities available at the site, and to gain accreditation for these activities and to develop new opportunities. As well as the aquaculture and horticultural activities currently on site further educational and training opportunities include land management, composting, environmental conservation, biodiversity, growing Biofuels for renewable energy, recycling, healthy eating and cookery. These new opportunities will in turn attract further groups of young people to the project, increasing its overall sustainability. They will provide an alternative curriculum to re-engage young people in the education process and ultimately lead to their participation in the mainstream economy.

Schoolchildren growing food

The ABLE project strongly complements national and regional priorities. It lies at the heart of several strategies published by DfES such as the new Sustainable Schools Strategy. The ABLE project, as an example of sustainability in action, is therefore a useful tool to help the DfES fulfil the targets and objectives of its Sustainable Development Action Plan. Similarly, the project also supports the principles of the DfES’s Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto. The manifesto states that outdoor learning is of benefit to all young people, and especially to those, like the young people participating at ABLE, whose circumstances make it more difficult for them to participate effectively in mainstream education. The Sustainable Development Commission have included a case study of the ABLE project as an example of best practice under the government’s ‘Every Child Matters’ initiative, in their publication ‘Every Child’s Future Matters’. Regionally, the project is seen as an exemplar for the Yorkshire and Humber Education for Sustainable Development Forum who have used the project as an example of best practice in 3 recent presentations.

Working on the 34 acre site

The ABLE project is a very cost effective solution to the problems caused to society by not providing sufficient opportunities to those young people in danger of exclusion from school; those already excluded; groups from the probation service; and young people recovering from substance misuse. The project wishes to achieve nothing less than the transformation of the lives of these young people by providing access to training opportunities and skills development that can re-engage young people in the education process and ultimately lead to participation in the mainstream economy, increasing the income earning capacity of local people who are often living in amongst the most deprived areas in the country. A recent report from The Prince’s Trust – ‘The Cost of Exclusion’ found that youth unemployment costs UK tax payers around £20 million per week in Job Seeker’s Allowance, and a further £70 million per week in terms of productivity loss. Furthermore, the number of 16-24 year old young people not in education, training or employment has risen 15% from 1.08 million in 1997 to 1.24 million in 2006. According to DfES statistics in 2004/5 in the Yorkshire and Humber region there were 45,850 exclusions for fixed periods and 790 permanent exclusions. The report finds that these young people are more likely to get involved with crime, a further cost to society. Nearly two thirds of young offenders sentenced in court have either been excluded from school or truant significantly. Given the measurable costs of social exclusion ‘The Cost of Exclusion’ concludes that interventions which help young people stay on in education, get into work or avoid crime represent excellent value for money. The objective of the ABLE project is to achieve all three.