'Work the View' was a project coordinated by Friends of the Lake District and delivered in partnership with several other individuals and organisations including the Cumbria Farm Environment Partnership, Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Dry Stone Walling Association Cumbria Branch (DSWA), Lancashire and Westmorland Hedge Laying Association and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (Cumbria parishes).

Work the View was part of the Rural Skills Cumbria Programme providing training to individuals 16 years or older, currently working, or intending to work in the farming, food and forestry sectors in Cumbria.

The Programme was funded by Defra through the Rural Development Programme for England and managed by the LEADER Local Action Groups.

Impact of our Work

Between 2011 and 2013 Work the View delivered:

• 727 training days involving 852 people participating in 65 different events. The training delivered included:
• 32 dry stone walling training or demonstration events
• 15 hedge laying training or demonstration events
• 6 hay meadow events
• 3 orchard management events
• 3 pond construction and management events
• 3 carbon habitat events
• 1 grassland management workshop
• 1 soil management workshop
• 1 workshop on the effective running of commons agreements

I'd been wanting to learn to hedgelay for a while, so the training was a good opportunity and George was a fantastic (and patient!) trainer. It was a really enjoyable day - with the hedge-laying competition going on all around us and snowfall in the afternoon. I learnt a new skill that I will definitely make use of in the future.

 James Innerdale

Read our final project report by clicking here.