Coalfields Trustee sees for himself

Nicky Wilson, Scottish Trustee of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust likes nothing better than meeting the community groups the Trust funds, and he was in his element meeting apprentice gardners at Twechar in Lanarkshire

[UKPRwire, Wed Nov 11 2009] Former miner Nicky Wilson, Scottish Trustee of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust went digging for information when he caught up with Twechar apprentices Joseph Ross, 18, and Gary Bell and Scott Goggins both 17.

He met the lads, whose modern apprenticeships are funded by a £100,000 CRT grant to Twechar Community Action as they landscaped the area round the Auchinstarry Basin on the Forth and Clyde Canal near Kilsyth, Lanarkshire.

Mr Wilson said: “One of the most enjoyable parts of my job as a Trustee is seeing first hand how the grants we award are used to make a difference in former mining areas.

“These three lads are learning skills and qualifications which will help them into work when their apprenticeships finish, and in the meantime they are helping improve the environment locally.

“So it’s a win-win situation.’

Joseph Ross said: “We all live locally and applied for the apprenticeships when they came up.

“It can be hard work at times, but it’s a cracking opportunity, and we are enjoying the mix of working, and doing one day a week at college.”

Mr Wilson caught up with Joseph, Gary and Scott along with local MSP David Whitton, and representatives of Twechar Community Action, the Waterways Trust Scotland and British Waterways Scotland at the Scents and Sensibilities garden at Auchinstarry.