A horticulture training scheme in the Wandle Valley is being launched tomorrow by Groundwork London.

Working together with housing associations and local authorities, Groundwork London uses environmentally sustainable schemes to try to fulfill three main aims: “creating better places”; “greener living and working”; and “improving people’s prospects”. Their new Green Teams working along the River Wandle, through Merton and Croydon and along the Wandle Trail footpath, is looking to deliver across all three of those objectives.

“There has been a long-held ambition to integrate training and employment opportunities for young people into the development of the Wandle Valley Regional Park and with a recent successful bid to the Mayor’s Big Green Fund we’re thrilled this has now become possible with the launch of the Wandle Green Team,” said Sue Morgan, the chief executive of the Wandle Valley Regional Park.

Groundwork’s Green Teams will provide temporary employment and training for young people to prepare them for future careers in horticulture. Four young apprentices will join the Wandle Green Team, employed on a full-time basis for six months, after which they will continue in paid apprenticeship with Merton council or Quadron Services for a further 12 months. All apprentices will attend college each week and complete a Level 2 Diploma in work-based horticulture and Level 1 in functional skills during their Green Team training.

The Wandle Green Team will carry out a programme of horticulture work along the Wandle Trail, specified by the landscape consultants for Wandle Valley Regional Park. This will involve vegetation clearance, habitat construction, redefining and repairing pathways, tree and shrub planting and felling small trees.

Coming to Croydon

• David Lean Cinema: Bright Days Ahead, Oct 2
• Tree Sides, Spread Eagle Theatre, Oct 2-4
• Croydon Fun Palace, Whitgift Centre, Oct 4-5
• East Croydon community meeting, Oct 7
• The Goon Show, Spread Eagle Theatre, Oct 8-11
• David Lean Cinema: Boyhood, Oct 9
• David Lean Cinema: Grand Central, Oct 14
• Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
• David Lean Cinema: Finding Vivian Maier, Oct 16
• Cinema Ruskin film show, Oct 18
• South Croydon business breakfast, Oct 18
• David Lean Cinema: Mood Indigo, Oct 23
• This Was The World and I Was King, Spread Eagle, Oct 23-25
• Upper Norwood Library Book Club, 2.30pm, Oct 25
• David Lean Cinema: Ilo Ilo, Oct 28
• CODA’s Wind In The Willows, Charles Cryer, Carshalton, Oct 29-Nov 1
• David Lean Cinema: Belle, Oct 30
• Albert Einstein – Relativity Speaking, Spread Eagle, Nov 12-15
• South Croydon business breakfast, Nov 15
• Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20
• Choose Your Own Documentary, Spread Eagle Theatre, Nov 21-22
• The Last Sense of Sudden, Spread Eagle Theatre, Nov 27-29
• Ghost Stories for Christmas, Spread Eagle Theatre, Dec 3
• Fog Horn Funnies, Spread Eagle Theatre, Dec 6
• South Croydon business breakfast, Dec 13
• South Croydon business breakfast, Jan 24

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