It was great to visit Heeley City Farm last month to speak with John, Andy and fifteen young people about a fantastic project taking place at the farm. The project is part of the TEAM programme, which is a 12-week course that helps local young people develop new skills.

During my visit, people taking part in the scheme were hard at work building a sensory garden for people with dementia, creating a ramp to a new classroom, refurbishing walls, and painting a lovely new mural.

The award-winning programme is really successful and over the years has helped many young, with 85% of participants getting into work or back into education. Those taking part gain skills in health and safety, CV-writing, and food hygiene, while pitching projects Dragons’ Den-style!

It was great to see first-hand today how young people and the local community are benefiting from the scheme, which is organised by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, South Yorkshire Police, the Prince’s Trust and Barnsley College. If you want to find out more, you can do so here.