The grant made to the education charity BODS supports the project which is working with a variety of youth organisations to research, design and build coracles. These one person boats made from woven traditional materials have been seen on British waters since before the Roman era, but have been lost as a skill to all but a few experts.

Already proving a great success, the project has seen 50 young people of 10 years and upwards take part in workshops at Kington Youth Centre, with many joining an exciting launch day and races on the Bodenham Lakes on the May bank holiday. The local community has come together, with three Young Farmers’ clubs, Eardisley, Pembridge and Kington Youth Groups building the crafts, making rafts and launching them on the water.

Anne Jenkins, HLF Regional Manager for the West Midlands, said: ‘This is a fantastic project which we are delighted to be supporting, I am glad to see it is already proving a great success.

‘Coracle making is just one part of our diverse heritage. Getting young people involved will allow them to develop new skills and discover how our environment and rich history have an important role to play in shaping the future.’

BODS have been working with partners Hereford Library and Museum to involve the young people in researching different coracle designs and exploring the culture and environmental aspects of boating on the water. Participants are learning about the environment and history of river use and have improved personal skills such as problem solving, analytical abilities and relationship building.

This project is also part-financed by the European Union (EAGGF) and DEFRA through a £47,255 grant from the Herefordshire Rivers LEADER+ Programme.

BODS are carrying out the media aspects of the project utilising the skills of young people involved on the project. Videos, photographs and PowerPoint presentations were made to record personal involvement and project progress. Several other partner groups such as the Herefordshire Nature Trust are providing information on sustainable materials, river systems and conservation.

William Edwards, project coordinator for BODS added: ‘We are delighted that the project is going well and that so many young people have already been involved, showing a real interest in the history of Coracles as well as having a lot of fun out on the water.’

This project builds on a previous £18,550 HLF grant to build a Roundhouse for craft and outdoor activities in Werndee Wood, St Weonards, Herefordshire. Future plans include involving new groups and researching alternative coracle designs. Anyone interested in getting involved should contact William Edwards on 07967 441828.

Pictures of the launch event are available from the HLF press office.

Notes to Editors

Herefordshire Rivers LEADER+ directly addresses rural regeneration by supporting local community activities that find new ways to enhance, interpret, utilise and record the natural environment and historical resources of the countryside. The aims of this project are fully supported by the Programme Team, and more information can be found at www.herefordshirerivers.org.

The Herefordshire Rivers LEADER+ Programme is the only one of its kind in the West Midlands to successfully secure LEADER+ funding, and is somewhat of a flagship for the region as a whole. There are over 50 LEADER+ groups across the U.K., as well as many more throughout the Member States of the European Union.

LEADER is an acronym from the French, “Liaison Entre Actions pour le Development de L’Economie Rurale” which means “Links between actions for the development of the rural economy”.