Melton people encouraged to learn rural skills

Courses on offer include pond management, hedge laying, coppicing and woodland management, and are aimed at people with little or no experience of rural skills, or people who want the opportunity to develop and improve their skills.

Anyone is welcome to attend the courses, with discounts being offered to those on job seekers allowance (JSA).

The courses are:

* Pond Management: 8 October, Glen Parva Nature Reserve. £50/£40 SS/£25 JSA. This one-day introductory course covers basic understanding of how to manage ponds, as well as pond creation, including what vegetation to plant. Suitable for anyone, the course will enlighten you on all things ponds.

* Woodland Management (with coppicing): 22 and 23 October, Ratby. £80/£60 SS/£40 JSA: Working over two days, participants of the Woodland Management course will learn about creating habitats and corridors for wildlife, as well as improving woodland structure and biodiversity.

* Hedge Laying Level 1: 12 and 13 November, Charnwood. £80/£60 SS/£40 JSA: This course is ideal for beginners, and will teach the traditional Midland Bullock style of hedge laying, common in Leicestershire and much of the Midlands. The course runs over two days.

For more information email [email protected] or visit www.lesswaste.org.uk/events