Big Fish in Small Streams

By Peter Kerr

I've been involved with the Skill Mill from the very start, probably going back three or four years now. I was involved with a programme of works in rivers and streams and keen to try new techniques and ideas and one of the things I was keen to do was work with young people in streams and I approached the Youth Justice Board and they pointed out that the Newcastle Youth Offending Team are probably one of the most forward looking in the country, so I approached Davie Parks and it all blossomed from there. You know we had a great meeting of minds and we shared some great ideas and looking back over the last couple of years it's surprising just how far it's come and what it's developed into.

The thing that motivated me was to try and find a way we could build the skills and the confidence in young people and bring some opportunities of employment to them because as kids and young people we all make daft mistakes at times but it's important to try and provide ideas and opportunities so that with the best will in the world people can then pick things up and move forward and build things. And it's worked great, some of the work that's been done has been really excellent quality and some really exciting pieces of work delivered and really hard work as well. And I'm always impressed by the approach of the young people, they develop quite markedly over the time they go from quite shy and quiet people to confident team players, they interact and they really build their confidence and their skills and it's great if we can then move them into employment and on into the world.

My motivation has been to try and help bring that about but also to be part of something that's exciting and new and try to push the boundaries and really try to challenge accepted approaches to young people and to find ways we can really show that they have a big thing to offer. And all credit to Davie and to Paul and both the Seans, they've put a shed load of work into this and made it the real success that it is and hopefully that will continue over the coming years.