The Prince’s Trust has completed the first ever Get Into Parks and Green Spaces course, aimed at helping unemployed youngsters to find work in the parks sector.

The pilot scheme, funded by the London South Learning Skills Council and the European Social Fund, allowed young people to learn a variety of practical skills at Bushy Royal Park in London.

Sessions during the week-long course, which took place last month, included the participants creating their own designs for a park and laying out scaled-down versions of the designs in Bushy Park.

Other elements inlcuded sports maintenance, landscaping, planting education and conservation.

The course was provided in partnership between the Prince’s Trust, The Royal Parks and GreenSpace.

Paul Bramhill, chief executive of GreenSpace, said: “It was fantastic to witness the energy of these young people as they produced their carefully-considered park plans.” Details: www.green-space.org.uk